A
by Jackisnotokay
Summary: My friend Oliver is alive. After five years, he comes back to Starling City. It's a coincidence that when he gets back, a vigilante in a green hood shows up. A hood a lot like Oliver's.
1. Chapter 1

"Morning, Moira, morning, Walter." I greeted Mr and Mrs Steele.

"Good morning, Adela." Walter replied and Moira smiled as a greeting.

"Where's Thea?" I asked.

"In her room. Are you staying for breakfast?" Moira asked.

I shook my head, "I already ate." I lied. "I'm just here to drive her to school."

"Alright, then. Have fun." Moira replied.

I smiled at them and went upstairs to Thea's room. I knocked on the door,

"You're ride awaits my queen."

The door opened and revealed Thea in her uniform.

"Why thank you, kind sir." She replied.

I gasped, "I am a woman!"

"Hard to tell." Thea responded before we went downstairs and to my car.

"I'm not really going to school, am I?" Thea asked.

"I really should make you go. But I won't make you. I'll just follow you around all day." I answered.

"Ugh. Why do you have to follow me around?"

"You know why." I replied.

"He's dead, Adela. Has been for five years. You don't have to keep that promise anymore." Thea said.

"You used to think that he's still alive. I promised Ollie that I would take care of you while he was away. He's still away. He's not coming back, and I get that. But I'm keeping that promise." I responded.

"And I promised him I would take care of you. Have you eaten today?" Thea asked.

"It's seven in the morning." I replied.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. How about we stop at McDonalds?" Thea questioned.

I sighed, "Fine."

I went through the drive through and got a hashbrown while Thea got a breakfast burger.

"I have work at three, so what do you want to do till then?" I asked.

"Let's go shopping." Thea answered.

"We went shopping last week." I replied.

"So? I don't even know why you bother with a job. You're rich!" Thea exclaimed.

"That money isn't gonna last forever." I said.

* * *

I dropped Thea off at school after two hours of shopping, then I went out to lunch with Laurel, then to the hospital for work. That night is when I heard about it. That's when they brought him in.

Oliver Queen.

Moira called me, asking me if he was there.

"I-I don't know yet, Moira. I haven't-"

The doors burst open and a guy on a gurney, struggling, was rushed in. He was dirty, had long hair and a beard, and in raggedy clothes. He opened his eyes and stared at me. It was Oliver. I'd know his eyes anywhere.

"He's here." I told Moira before hanging up and following Oliver.

I stayed outside of the room as they worked on him, ran tests and all that. Dr. Lamb left and waited for Moira and asked me to help Oliver clean up. He told me about his condition. Oliver's body had many scars, and he hasn't spoken yet. He could have Post Dramatic Stress Disorder. He was staring out the window, still dirty, and didn't turn around when I opened the door.

"Hey." I whispered as I closed the door, "I don't think you remember me. Adela Edwards ring any bells? We used to be friends before you... disappeared."

"I remember." He whispered and turned to face me, "You look different from before."

"So do you. Then again, it's been five years." I replied before hugging him.

I pulled back and grabbed his hand, "Time for a sponge bath. Aren't my favorite part of the job, but you're filthy and need to shave."

I brought him to the connecting bathroom and helped him get out of his dirty clothes and made the bath for him.

"I can wash myself just fine without help." Oliver mumbled when he was only in his boxers.

"You sure?" I asked and he nodded.

"Okay. I'll just take these." I replied, grabbing his clothes and walked towards the door.

"Can I keep the hood?"

I turned to face him, "I don't need the pants. I just... want to keep the hood."

I smiled at him, "Of course. I'll wash it and bring it back to you before you leave."

"A?"

I stopped at my old nickname he used to call me, "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"No problem, Ollie. There's razors in the cupboard." I replied before leaving.

I leaned against the wall and wiped my tears. Oliver has scars all over his body. What happened to him out there? I stood up straight and and sighed before leaving the room.I put his hoodie in the washer in the basement and pick up some clothes for him to wear. I went back into the room and placed it on the bed and knocked on the door,

"There's clothes for you on the bed. I'll close the curtains so you get some privacy."

I did what I said, closed the curtains since most of the windows were windows, and went to go wait for Moira. When she came I went over and hugged her as I saw tears in her eyes. The three of us went upstairs and to Oliver's room. He was clean, shaved, and dressed and staring out the window again.

"20% of his body is covered in scar tissue. Second-degree burns on his back and arms. X-Ray shows at least twelve fractures that never properly healed." Dr. Lamb told Moira.

"Has he said anything about what happened?"Moira asked.

"He hasn't spoken to me yet. Adela, has he said anything to you?" Dr. Lamb asked me.

"Nothing important like what happened on the island. Only that he remembers me." I answered.

"Moira, I'd like you to prepare yourself. The Oliver you lost might not be the one they found." Dr. Lamb said.

I heard Moira take a deep breath before entering the room.

"Oliver."

He turned around and faced her, "Mom."

They walked closer and stood in front of each other, "Oh... my beautiful boy." Moira cried before hugging Oliver.

* * *

The next morning Oliver was going home. Thea wanted me there, but I told her it was a family reunion and that I'll go by later. I went to work early, and on the way home I stopped by the Queen household.

I knocked on the door and seconds later Oliver opened it.

"Oliver! Hi, how's everything going?" I smiled.

"It's going fine, A." Oliver replied, "You here to see Thea?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

He let me inside and Thea and I went upstairs to her room. We were in there for hours, talking and watching movies. I ended up sleeping over. Down the hall, I heard screaming and whimpering. I got up without waking Thea and ran to Oliver's room with Walter and Moira behind me.

"Oliver, wake up. Oliver?" I asked, shaking him.

His eyes snapped open and he grabbed my hand before flipping me over and I hit the ground and Oliver's hand was at my neck.

"Oliver!" Walter yelled.

Oliver looked at me with scared blue eyes and backed away from me and Walter helped me sit up as I coughed.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I-"

"Oliver." I whispered as I crawled over to him, "It's okay. You're home, now. Everything will be alright." I turned to look at Walter and Moira, "You guys go back to bed. I got him."

"You sure?"

I nodded and turned back to Oliver. I held my hand out for him to take, and once he grabbed my hand, I helped him up and over to his bed. Oliver laid down and he put his blankets over himself as I waked over to the window and closed it before walking towards the door.

"Wait!"

I turned and looked at Oliver, "Yeah?"

"Can you stay? I won't try anything, I promise." Oliver asked.

"Okay." I walked over to the bed and laid on the other side of the bed.

* * *

I left the next morning before Oliver woke up. I said goodbye to Walter and Moira before walking out the door. I went home to shower and change before going to the florist. I picked up two roses before driving to the cemetary.

"Hey mom, hey dad." I said as I walked up to two gravestones, "I have great news. Oliver's alive. I know I came here years ago and I told you that he was dead and so was Robert and Laurel's sister, Sarah. But... Oliver survived. No one knows how, but he did. He came back a few days ago. He's different. Not necessarily a bad different... but different." I sighed before putting the one rose gently on their graves, "Bye mom, bye dad."

I went to the hospital and for my lunch break I decided to walk around the Glades. I stopped when I thought I saw Oliver with two bags jump a gate to his dad's old factory. I just decided it was my figment of my imagination and began to walk back to the hospital. My shift ended at 5:30 and Laurel invited me over for dinner. After eating and watching a few episodes of the Vampire Diaries, I went home.

I got a text from Tommy the following morning about a 'Welcome Home' Party for Oliver at a local club. I agreed and went into my closet to look for a dress. I put the dress in my car and drove to Thea's house and we spent the day roaming the city until the party.

I wore a plain black lace sleeveless dress that went down to my mid-thigh. I wore black flats since it is very hard to dance in heels and I left my blonde hair down to drape over my shoulders. For my makeup I did smoky eye shadow and dark eyeliner with a light shade of lip gloss.

At the party I was dancing with Thea and everything went quiet. Everyone was looking towards the stairs and I saw Tommy and Oliver.

"Man of the hour!" Tommy yelled and we cheered and held out drinks up, "Whoo! And, uh, ladies, please give this man a proper homecoming."

Oliver walked down the rest of the way and 'We Are The Champions' came on as Oliver walked onto a small stage,

"Thank you very much, everybody!" Oliver yelled and Tommy handed him a shot and he gulped it down, "I missed tequila!"

The music came back on we danced. After a few minutes I looked around, "Hey! I'm gonna go find Laurel!"

"Okay!" Thea replied, "I have some friends over there to talk to!"

I eventually found Laurel walking towards the exit,

"Hey!" I exclaimed nad grabbed her hand.

"Hi, I was just-." Laurel smiled.

"Looking for Oliver?" I asked. "Come on, I'll help get you to him."

I gripped her hand as we made out way through the crowd and we eventually ran into Oliver,

"You're here." Oliver smiled at Laurel.

"Tommy." Laurel stated, "He made the point that we have too many years between us to leave things the way we left them. Is there someplace quieter that we could go to?"

"Yeah." Oliver smiled and they looked over at me.

"Right." I began to back away, "See you guys later."

"Save me a dance!" Oliver yelled from behind me.

"If you're lucky!" I replied.

I went over to the bar to get a drink and Tommy walked up behind me, "You look nice tonight."

I smiled up at him, "At least someone noticed."

"Oh, come on, who wouldn't notice you?" He asked.

"You'd be surprised." I replied before taking a sip of my blue margarita.

Tommy's attention was now focused on another female and I walked over to the window and saw a lot of police cars out front.

"What the-"

Then, all the police officers made their way inside the building with their guns drawn. A few minutes later, I saw a man in a green hood outfit jump of the window and zip line down above the club. A few minutes later the music stopped and the police came in.

"Starling City Police!" Quentin yelled as he made his was through the crowd, "The party's over, kids!"

I began walking over to Laurel's dad and he stopped and started talking to Tommy and I came over.

"Detective! It's a private party." Oliver said as he made his way over.

"Yeah? Well, there was an incident at Adam Hunt's building tonight. You know anything about that?" Quentin asked.

"Who's Adam Hunt?" Oliver asked.

"He's a millionaire bottom feeder, and I'm kinda surprised you aren't friends." Quentin replied.

"I've been out of town for... a while." Oliver said.

"Well, he just got attacked by the guy with the Hood, the guy that saved you ass the other day." Quentin responded.

"What?" I asked and Oliver nudged me to be quiet.

"The Hood guy. You didn't find him?" Oliver asked. "I'm gonna offer a reward."

Oliver turned to face the crowd, "Hey, everybody. 2 million dollars to anybody that can find a nut bar in a green hood."

People raised their drinks and cheered before Oliver turned back to Quentin.

"Did you even try to save her?" Quentin asked.

"That has nothing to do what's happening right now." I replied, stepping in front of Oliver.

"Let's go, partner." Hilton said as he started pulling Quentin away.

"Did you even try to save my daughter?"

"Sarah wouldn't want this." Hilton said and they walked away.

Oliver went back up to the small stage, "It's way too quiet in here! This is a party!"

The music came back on and everyone began dancing again and Oliver came back over to us,

"Some coincidence, I mean, you asking to have your party here, and Hunt getting robbed right next door and by the same guy who rescued us at the warehouse." Tommy said.

Yeah, quite a coincidence. Like Oliver has a green hood, too.

"If I were you, Tommy, I'd just be glad you're alive." Oliver replied.

"What happened to you on that island?" Tommy asked.

"A lot." Oliver answered before grabbing my hand, "Now, if you excuse me, I scheduled a dance from the little blonde right here."

"What happened to you and Tommy at a warehouse?" I asked as I put my arms around Oliver's neck.

"Some guys abducted us in an alley. The guy in the hood rescued us and killed our kidnappers." He answered.

"You guys are okay, right?"

"Totally." He smiled and we continued dancing.


	2. Chapter 2

I got dressed in my black pencil skirt and a light blue blouse with a mini heart diamond necklace with black pumps. I grabbed my purse before driving to the Queen's place.

I sat in the lounge with Walter, Moira, and Thea and we were all waiting for Oliver.

I've been kinda iffy around him lately. It was too much of a coincidence about what happened a few weeks ago at his party. The vigilante in the green hood attacked Adam Hunt, who's building was next door to the club, and the vigilante saved Oliver and Tommy the day or so before. Oliver also has a green hoodie, much like the one the vigilante was seen in.

The vigilante has been attacking rich people all week now. Wither they die or they lose quite a bit of money.

"Over the past 15 years, Mr. Redman has withdrawn more than 30 million dollars from the plan's account. Mr. Redman claims refunding the Halcyon pension plan has always been his intent. But sources say Redman was coerced by the vigilante." The news man said as Oliver walked into the room.

"This guy gets more air-time than the Kardashians, right?" Oliver asked.

"Five years on an island and you still know who they are." Thea said.

"I've been catching up." Oliver replied. "It's nice to see how much our culture has improved while I was away."

"But the city used to be different. People used to be safe." Moira said.

"Aw, what's the matter, mom? Afraid we're gonna be next?" Thea joked.

"Do you have any questions about today, Oliver?" Walter asked his step-son, "It's a simple proof-of-life declaration. Just read out a brief, prepared statement to the judge, and then your death-in-absentia judgement will be voided."

"It's fine, Walter, I've been in a courtroom before." Oliver replied.

"Four times by my estimate." Tommy said, coming into the room, "You know, there was the DUI, the assault on the paparazzi douchebag, stealing that taxi, which was just awesome, by the way, and who could forget peeing on the cop?"

"I wish everyone would." Moira replied.

"I'd hang, but we're headed to court." Oliver told Tommy.

"I know, that's why I'm here." Tommy said, "My best friend is getting legally resurrected, I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"What about you?" Oliver asked Thea.

"Oh, I think the first four times of you in court was enough for me." Thea answered before walking away.

"Fair enough."

"Mrs. Queen?" Diggle, Oliver's bodyguard, came in, "Car's ready."

The five of us got into the car and when we got to the courthouse, we were invaded by the paparazzi. I grabbed his hand and rushed through, "Leave him alone!" I exclaimed and we eventually got inside.

* * *

"There was a storm." Oliver told the judge, "The boat went down. I was the only survivor. My father didn't make it. I almost died, I..." I saw Moira's eyes tear up and I put my hand on hers, "I thought that I had, because I spent so many days on that life raft before I saw land. When I reached it, I knew... I knew that I was gonna have to live for the both of us. And in those five years, it was that one thought that kept me going."

"Your Honor, we move to vitiate the death-in-absentia filed after Oliver's disappearance at sea aboard the Queen's Gambit fiver years ago. Unfortunately we will not be requesting that the declaration of death filed for petitioner's father, Robert Queen, be rescinded. The Queen family is only entitled to one miracle, I'm afraid."

* * *

"Now onto the offices. Everyone is waiting to meet you there." Moira told her son.

"Uh, mom, that was... a little bit heavier than I was expecting it to be. Can we do that tomorrow? Please?" Oliver asked.

"Of course."

"Thank you."

"Come on, Adela, we'll give you a ride back to our place." Moira said to me.

"See you guys later." I smiled at Tommy and Oliver before following Moira and Walter to the car.

I got back to my car after we stopped at Moira's house and I got a call from Tommy. Apparently Oliver ditched him and Diggle. I laughed before driving back to the courthouse to pick them up.

"Is this a 2013 Bugatti?" Diggle asked as he got into the front seat and Tommy got in the back.

"She's pretty, isn't she? My aunt got it for me for Christmas last year before they were sold." I answered.

I dropped Tommy off at his place and I dropped Diggle off at the Queen's before going back to my place. I changed into my scrubs and went to work until 9 that night.

* * *

The next day I had off so I spent the day cleaning my house and then went to Laurel's for dinner. We got chinese takeout and were watching tv when there was a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Laurel questioned before setting her food down and going to the door.

I saw her opening the door with her 'bitch face', "Hi."

It was Oliver.

"Are you okay? There are two cop cars outside." Oliver asked.

"How am I supposed to stay away from you if you won't stay away from me?" Laurel asked.

"I..."

"What are you doing here, Oliver?"

"My sister took... she pointed out to me that I have been distant since I got back and that... it would probably be a good idea if I let somebody in." Oliver answered.

I stood up quietly and began to grab my things. I wasn't gonna interrupt their moment.

"So, you thought you'd start with the first person you pushed away." Laurel said.

"I did that to protect you." Oliver replied. "And then I saw you yesterday, and I realized that I hurt you."

Laurel sighed and then looked at me, "Where are you going?"

"You guys obviously need to talk alone. And besides, it would've been stupid to stay over, I have work early tomorrow." I answered as I walked past Oliver, "See you guys around."

"You really don't-" Oliver started.

"I am." I replied before walking down the hall.

I was in the elevator with a blonde asian woman when it opened and showed the lobby. I looked outside and saw the cops on the ground, lying in a pool of blood.

"What-"

The woman dropped to the ground and kicked my legs from underneath me. I grunted before leaning on my elbows and she pointed a gun at me. I kicked it out of her hands and then kicked her backwards so I had time to stand up. Thank God for those self-defense lessons I took with Laurel.

She took out a knife and threw it at me, and I dodged. She came at me and I blocked her fist from hitting me and I tried to kick her and she got my foot. She spun my leg and I spun with it before hitting the ground. I used my feet to trip her and I crawled towards the knife that was in the wall. I saw the woman coming at me again and I threw the knife, which grazed her shoulder, and before she could get a hit on my, I pivoted and elbowed her in the chest before using my forearm to hit her in the throat. She fall to the ground and I grabbed her gun. But when I turned to face her again, she was gone.

I immediately grabbed my phone and called Laurel,

"Hey, why did-"

"You may have a guest." I said, out of breath.

"Why are you-? She tried to ask before I heard glass breaking on the other end.

"Shit." I whispered before putting my phone in my pocket and grabbing the knife with my free hand and running towards the stairs.

When I got there, the door was broken and I jumped over the pieces and saw the blonde lady, "Hey!"

She turned around and glared at me, "You forgot this!"

I threw the knife again and it got her in the shoulder and she screamed. I saw Oliver throw something and the woman ducked in time for a kitchen knife to hit the wall. Someone behind me ran to her and I saw that it was Diggle. Oliver grabbed my arm and pulled me away. The woman got Diggle to the ground before running out.

"Are you hurt!?" Diggle asked.

"No."

"Are you hurt, Mr. Queen?!"

"No." Oliver answered.

"This is why it's a good idea to have a body guard." Mr. Diggle said and I heard police sirens.

Oliver turned me to look at him, "Are you okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah." I looked at the gun on my hand, "I should've used this."

The police rushed in and put the bodies in bags and Laurel went over to hug her dad.

"I'm okay." Laurel told him, "Those cops that you put on me..."

Quentin shook his head. They were dead. I saw them with my own two eyes.

"Mr. Diggle, thank you." Quentin told the bodyguard and shook his hand, "Feel free to run as many red lights in the city as you want."

"I was just doing my job, sir." Diggle replied.

"No, your job is protecting him," Quentin nodded to Oliver and walked over to him,

"It seems like whenever you're with one of my daughters, people die. You stay away from Laurel, or I swear the next time you disappear, it will be permanent."

"Dad!" Laurel exclaimed.

"No, Laurel..."

"It's okay." Oliver whispered, "I understand."

Once I got done being questioned, I got in my car and drive home. I was now more suspicious of Oliver. He threw that kitchen knife from over ten feet away and if that woman wouldn't have ducked, she would've gotten hit. He's keeping a secret.

Later that night I walked to the Glades. I saw Oliver going into his dad's old factory with a few duffel bags. I bet that's where he's keeping his vigilante stuff. I climbed over the fence and went into the old factory, "Hello?"

No one responded and I took out my phone to use as a flashlight. I walked over to a stair case and I saw lights down there. I went down there and saw a little set up with computers and a few arrows in a holder. This was definitely the vigilante's place. But was it Oliver?

I walked over to a table with the computer and there was a dirty little notebook on it. I picked it up and flipped through it. There were many names inside. I stopped on the page where there was a line through a name. Adam Hunt. He was going to attack all these people. I took out my phone and took pictures of all the pages, which took a while before continuing.

I walked around a little more and noticed a green old box on the ground. It was exactly like the one Oliver brought with him from the island. So, it was him. Oliver is the vigilante.


	3. Chapter 3

I printed out those photos of the small notebook that the vigilante, or Oliver, had in his little hideout. Once I heard Martin Somers was arrested, I got out a pen and crossed his name off of the picture. I looked around my office, looking for a place to hide the names. I put it in a false-bottom drawer.

Each time I saw a name on the news from a rich person who was dead or arrested, I looked over the names and crossed them off. About two weeks after finding out the Oliver was the vigilante, I saw on the news that James Holder was shot in the heart. He wasn't killed by the Hood, but he was super rich. I crossed his name off the list.

Around noon I got a call from Jo and she asked me if I wanted to go to a club tonight with her and Laurel. I agreed, of course, before hanging up and going back to work. I got off around seven, and as I was driving home, the man on the radio said that man, Carl Rasmussen was shot dead. I recognized the name from the list, but it wasn't the Hood who killed him. It was someone else.

I got home and put on a white strapless peplum dress and gold my white and gold studded leather pumps. Jo texted me and said that she and Laurel would be picking me up at eight. I had fifteen minutes.

While putting on my gold hoops, I went into my office and grabbed the list. I found Carl Rasmussen and crossed his name off and I head the doorbell ring.

* * *

Laurel was at the bar and Jo and I were dancing a few feet away from her. Then I saw Oliver and Tommy walk up to her. They talked before Thea ran up. She said something to Oliver that clearly upset him.

"Take your hands off of me!" Thea exclaimed. "You're not my father. And you're barely my brother."

Thea left and I saw Max Fuller with a couple of bodyguards behind him take Oliver to an empty room in the back and Tommy and I followed.

"Stay out here." Tommy told me before going inside.

"Told you he was gonna be pissed." Oliver told Tommy.

"Back off, Merlyn. This isn't your problem." Max said.

"You want to get to him? You've got to go through me." Tommy replied before turning to Oliver, "Wow, they are probably gonna get through me."

One pushed Tommy and Tommy punched him before being thrown across the room. I watched as they got beaten on. I grabbed Max, who was right in front of me, and punched the pressure points on his back a few times and kicking him behind his knee before twisting him around and throwing him to the floor.

"So is this over, Max?" I asked, "Or are you gonna have your boys pound on me next?"

Max stood up and pointed to the each of us, "Consider you three banned for life. Get the hell out of my place!"

"Your club sucks anyway." Tommy replied as Max left the room.

"You guys okay?" I asked.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Oliver asked.

"Laurel's dad made her take a few self-defense classes. I was a nice enough friend to go with her." I answered before walking away, "I have to go back to Jo and Laurel before they start worrying."

* * *

Moira called me the next morning at seven, asking me if I wanted to go to an auction that night to keep Thea company. Before going to work, I put a blue spaghetti strap dress on my bed before showering and going to the hospital. After work, I put my shoes and dress in my car and drove over to Thea's to help her get ready.

I looked through her closet and picked out a light blue dress and she chose a necklace. I helped her with her makeup and she helped with mine and we were ready to go.

"Thanks for coming Thea, Adela." Walter smiled as we walked up to them, "It means a lot to Moira and I."

A woman in a suit came up to Walter, "Mr. Steele, the auction will be opening in five minutes. Please make sure your bid is ready."

"Thank you, Gina." Walter turned to us, "Shall we?"

We walked into the room with the other bidders and Thea, Moira, and I went to get a glass of champagne and Oliver came up to us, "Hi."

"Oliver, what a wonderful surprise." Moira said as Oliver waved Diggle over,

"I need you to get them out of here right now." Oliver ordered him.

"What about Walter?" I asked and I looked over at Moira's husband and saw a red dot pointed at his chest, "Walter! Duck!"

Quentin ran at him and moved him out of the way just in time before the bullet went into a waiter and I was pushed and I fell and Oliver fell on top of me.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

"Fine." I replied before he helped me up and we ran out of the room with Diggle, Moira, and Thea in front of us.

"Are you hurt?" Oliver asked his mom.

"No, I'm fine. Where is Walter?" She asked.

"Quentin had him." I answered.

"Walter's fine." Oliver said, looking into the room.

"Sir, I have to get you out of here." Diggle told Oliver.

"No, them! Them." Oliver replied before running off.

Diggle got us outside and into the car before running off to find Oliver and the driver began to take us back.

"We need to go back! Oliver and Diggle are still there!" I exclaimed as the driver stopped at the house.

"Honey, you wouldn't be any use. All we can do is wait." Moira replied.

* * *

I left when Thea and Moira was distracted and I drove towards Robert's old factory. That's where Oliver would be. When I got there I undid my heels and set them on the ground since my feet were getting sore and I sat in the chair, waiting.

I stood up when I heard footsteps and I saw the Hood with his arm wrapped around Diggle.

"What happened?" I asked and the Hood's eyes snapped up to mine,

"Adela?"

"Yeah, it's me. What happened to Diggle?" I asked again as I cleared the table and he laid Diggle on it.

"How did you... nevermind. Help me."

He ordered me to get water,a cup, a small bowl, a mini cauldron and a stick thingy from his box while he got these herbs from a bag. He poured it in the cauldron and poured water into it before mashing them up with a stick thingy. Once he was done, he poured it into a small cup and helped Diggle drink it.

"He'll be fine in the morning." The Hood said before setting the cup down and turning to me and taking off his hood, "What are you doing here, Adela."

"You didn't come back and I was worried." I answered.

"How did you even find out where I was? Or how I was this vigilante?" Oliver questioned.

"Wasn't very hard, to be honest. I may be blonde, but I'm not that blonde." I replied and looked at the empty cup, "I should get some of that stuff for the hospital."

"Don't change the subject. What are you going to do now? Tell the whole city?"

"Oliver, why do you think I would do that? I've known you were the vigilante for weeks. I wasn't planning on telling anyone." I answered.

I heard couching behind me and i turned and saw Diggle sitting up. He looked over at us and looked very, very confused.

"Hey, Diggle." I waved.

* * *

**Let me know if you want me to put a link to the dresses Adela wears on my profile. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Oliver? Adela?" Diggle asked and Oliver nodded.

Diggle got off the table and stood up, "You're that vigilante."

Diggle swung at Oliver and Oliver easily dodged it and Diggle leaned against the table,

"Easy, Diggle." I said as I helped him stand straight

"You were poisoned." Oliver said from behind us.

Diggle shrugged out of my grasp, "Son of a bitch." He once again tried to hit Oliver, but Oliver stopped him,

"Come on." Oliver said before letting him go, "I could have taken you anywhere. Could have taken you home. I brought you here."

"You really did lose your mind on that island." Diggle said.

"Found a couple of things along the way." Oliver replied.

"Like what, archery classes?" Diggle questioned.

"Clarity." Oliver corrected. "Starling City is dying. It is being poisoned by a criminal elite who don't care who they hurt, as long as they maintain their wealth and power."

"And what are you gonna do, take 'em all done by your lonesome?"

"No." Oliver answered. "Now, I want you to join me. Special forces out of Kandahar. It's perfect. You're a fellow solider."

"What about blonde over there?" Diggle asked.

"Hey!"

"I'll deal with her later." Oliver answered.

"You're not a solider, Oliver. You're a criminal. And a murderer." Diggle said before leaving.

Then Oliver turned to me. He opened his mouth to talk but I cut him off,

"Your family is worried about you. We'll deal with this tomorrow."

He nodded, "Don't think about avoiding me."

"Wouldn't dream of it." I replied before leaving.

* * *

So... I didn't meet Oliver the next day. I was working a double shift. Besides, he was busy. Two days later I was having dinner with Laurel at a small diner, and she told me that the Hood paid her a visit about the case about a husband who killed his wife. The Hood thought he was innocent. That Jason Brodeur was the one that killed her. The Hood wanted Laurel to be Declan's attorney.

And guess who's on Oliver's list? Jason Brodeur.

After dinner I went home and my lights wouldn't turn on.

"Great. That's nice of you." I said as I saw the Hood in my living room.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you yesterday." Oliver said as he put down his hood.

"Yeah, I had to work a double shift." I replied.

"How much do you know about what I'm doing?" Oliver asked.

I sat on my couch, "I know you're after people on this list in a little notebook of yours."

"This one?" He asked, throwing the book on my coffee table.

I nodded, "Yeah. Everybody you've been after, their name is in that book."

"It was my father's. I found it in his pocket before I buried him." Oliver said.

"I thought Robert drowned?"

"My dad and I made it to a life raft. There wasn't enough food or water for the both of us, so he shot himself in the head." He said.

"Oh god, Oliver, I'm sorry." I replied.

"He told me to right his wrongs, Adela, and that's what I've been doing." Oliver said. "And I want you to join me."

"Why? I'm no help to you." I asked.

"You'll be there for... moral support." Oliver replied. "And occasionally my personal nurse."

"Just take care of Laurel while she's on this case you got a deal." I said.

* * *

Oliver did what I asked him to do. He took care of Laurel. That night she went to Iron Heights to talk to Declan when the prisoners rioted. He was there and he kept her safe. That now means that I'm on board.

I drove to the facotry and went down into Oliver's hideout where he was playing the news report and Brodeur was arrested. I saw Oliver open the notebook and cross out the name with a pen.

"Laurel went with Declan to reunite him with his daughter." I said and Oliver whipped around.

"She thinks I'm a killer." Oliver said.

"You have a reason. You give those people a chance to do what's right." I replied, touching a few of his arrows.

"Doesn't matter. I still kill them."

"Some of them are killers, too." I held my hand out to him, "Come on."

He grabbed my hand and I led him out of the factory and to my car. I drove back to his house and when we got inside, we saw Diggle in the living room.

"You here for the bodyguard position? 'Cause the new guy just quit." Oliver said.

"No, I'm not." Diggle rpelied, "I'm here about the other position."

Oliver held out his hand for Diggle to shake, "Just to be clear, I'm not signing on to be a sidekick. But you're right. Fighting for this city needs to be done, and you're gonna do this with or without me."

"Yeah." Oliver said.

"But with me, there'll be fewer casualties, including you."

"Diggle, I'm not looking for anybody to save me." Oliver said.

"Maybe not, but you need someone just the same. You are fighting a war, Queen, except you have no idea what war does to you, how it scrapes off little pieces of your soul. And you need someone to remind you of who you are, not this thing you're becoming."

They shook hands only for a second before the door bursted open, "Oliver Queen."

"What is this? You can't just barge in here." I heard Walter say.

"Yeah? Well, I got a badge and a gun that says differently." Quentin replied.

"Hey, what the hell is going on?!" Oliver asked as we walked over to Walter.

Quentin walked over to Oliver, "Oliver Queen, you're under arrest on suspicion of obstruction of justice, aggravated assault, trespassing, acting as a vigilante... "

"Are you out of your mind?!" Oliver exclaimed as he was handcuffed.

"And murder." Quentin finished before dragging him outside.


	5. Chapter 5

That morning I quickly went home and showered and changed before going to the court for Oliver's trial. I sat next to Thea and Moira as we waited.

"Docket 81941, People vs. Oliver Queen." An officer said as Oliver was brought into the room, "Murder, aggravated assault, assault with attempt, menacing and trespassing."

"Where's your attorney, Mr. Queen?" The Judge asked Oliver.

"I'm representing myself, Judge." Oliver answered.

"I'm not sure that's the wisest course, Mr. Queen." The Judge replied.

Oliver stood up, "I think it is. I'm innocent."

"Then we'll consider that you're plea." The Judge said.

"Thank you." Oliver replied before sitting back down.

"Now, as to bail."

"You're honor, Mr. Queen's family owns a pair of private jets, and, well, on the subject of their wealth, I would point out that there is virtually no bail amount that can guarantee his presence at trial." A woman on the other side of the room said.

"So then I guess it's a good thing that the people's case is so circumstantial." Laurel said as she entered and sat by Oliver, "Dinah Laurel Lance, your honor. I'd like to file my appearance on behalf of the defendant. Mr. Queen's wealth should not deprive him of the right to be realised on bail while under the presumption of innocence."

"He is a flight risk."

"Then minimize the risk. The defendant is willing to submit to home confinement and electronic monitoring through the wearing of a UKG45 administrated ankle device." Laurel said and Oliver looked like he didn't want that.

"No, he wouldn't." Oliver replied.

"Sold." The Judge said.

"Your honor..."

"Bail is set at 15 million dollars. 5 million dollars bond. The defendant is to see probation for the fitting of a GPS device." The Judge announced.

* * *

We got back to the Queen's with Oliver and an officer with the ankle monitor came in and put the device on Oliver's ankle.

"Mom. It's not that bad." Oliver told his mother.

"Okay. This device has a direct line into the precinct. Stay on the property, you're golden." The officer said. "Any questions?"

"Yes. I'm having a sizeable get together here tomorrow evening, and there is a better than likely chance it spills into the outdoor pool." Oliver said.

"Pool, that's fine. Step on the grass, they're sending a SWAT team to forcibly subdue you." The officer replied.

"Thank you, officer." Walter said.

"A sizable get together?" Moira asked her son.

"I'm confined to this house with no forcible future, I might as well make the most of it. And this party is gonna be themed. I'm thinking prison, uh, burning man meets 'Shawshank Redemption'. The invite says, 'Come before Oliver Queen gets off'." Oliver said.

"Maybe a party's not in the best of taste, you know, considering the circumstances." Tommy replied as he sat next to Oliver.

"Tommy, the circumstances are why we're having the party in the first place. I want people to know that I'm not worried about any of this."

"Well, that makes one of us." Moira responded.

* * *

Oliver had me go to his room with him and he called for Diggle. Oliver was on his computer and I sat awkwardly on his bed while we waited. When there was a knock on the door, I stood up.

"Thank you for coming." Oliver told Diggle as he came in and shut the door behind him.

"I guess it was just a matter of time before the police caught up with you." Diggle said.

"Except they didn't." Oliver replied.

"Oliver, they got you on video." I said.

"I knew the security camera was there, just like I knew the police would review the footage and arrest me. All part of the plan." Oliver told us.

"So you wanted to get arrested?" Diggle questioned.

"Well, I returned to Starling City and a few days later, the vigilante appears. Sooner or later, somebody was going to make the connection." Oliver said.

"More like sooner. That was one of the reasons why I thought you were the vigilante." I commented.

Oliver pointed to me, "See?"

"So what part of serving yourself up to the cops will help you avoid going to prison for the rest of your life?" Diggle asked.

"There's more to it." Oliver said.

"Well, there better be, for your sake, because your family is freaking out downstairs. Oliver, your mother and your sister just got you back, and now you're going to put them through a trial, maybe even worse? Don't you care?"

"Of course I care. The mission comes first." Oliver replied before showing Diggle his computer screen and I walked over to see it,

"Who is he?" I asked.

"Leo Mueller. German arms dealer. Suspected in the theft of a hundred M249 Squad Automatic Weapons." Oliver answered.

"Ok..."

"Last night he arrived in Starling City to sell the guns." Oliver said.

"Oliver, don't you imagine there's enough trouble you're in this week than to go after this guy?" Diggle asked.

"I imagine what would happen if a street gang got their hands on Military-Grade hardware. I imagine our city's streets turned into a war zone." Oliver said.

"But you're under house arrest, Oliver, which means you can't just go after this guy." Diggle replied.

"Look, for now, I would just like you to shadow Mueller." Oliver told him. "I would like you to track his movements. I want to know where the buy is happening."

"Ok." Diggle replied. "And how am I supposed to track him?"

"Well, you know us billionaire vigilantes. We do love our toys."

* * *

The next day I had work before the party Oliver was having. I had a black and white striped dress and black heels with a small bow on them. And my earrings were little handcuffs.

I got home around five and got dressed before going to Oliver's. He had girls dancing in cells and spotlights running around. I stood next to Diggle as Oliver went on a small stage.

"Hi, everybody!" Oliver yelled when the music was turned off, "I'm very touched that you came to celebrate with me before I am sent up the river. Closest neighbors are six miles away, so don't worry about the noise. Actually, on second thought... let's wake those losers up!"

Everyone cheered and the music came on loud.

"If you think this is what prison's like, you are in for a rude awakening." Diggle said to Oliver as we walked inside the house.

"Mueller's car has been parked in the warehouse district of the Glades for 45 minutes." Oliver told Diggle as he handed him his GPS on his phone.

"Yeah, that's a good place for an arms deal." Diggle said, giving Oliver his phone back, "Okay, since this is going down tonight, what do we do? We drop a dime on Mueller with the cops?"

"No, the man in the hood." Oliver corrected, "He's going to stop them."

"Oliver, you can't leave the house." Diggle said.

"It doesn't have to be Oliver in the hood." I responded

Diggle looked from me then to Oliver, "That's why you threw this ridiculous party? So you have a hundred of witnesses placing you here at the house while I'm supposed to be across town dressed as a vigilante?"

"I would do it but I have boobs." I commented.

"Look, I thought that it was going to be good enough just for you to be seen in the hood. I didn't count on Mueller showing up and I didn't count on the possibility that the Glades could be flooded with machine guns." Oliver said, ignoring my comment, "I promise, it was never my intention to put you in harm's way."

"Oliver, I didn't think joining your little crusade was ever going to be risk-free. I just don't like being played. Now you might have gotten used to lying to everyone else in your life, but I'm the one guy you don't lie to." Diggle replied.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Diggle walked past us and over to the door, "So am I going to jail?"

"No, man." Diggle answered. "I got to stop an arms deal."

"Come on," I told Oliver, "Let's go get witnesses."

We went downstairs and went to the small bar and got two glasses of champagne.

"Hello." Oliver said to someone behind me.

"Laurel, hi." I went over and hugged her.

"Do we have a legal meeting or something?" Oliver asked her when I pulled back. "Because I have friends over."

We walked over to him, "Do you think maybe you can tear yourself away from this inappropriately themed rave for a couple of minutes?" Laurel asked.

"Sure." Oliver turned to me, 'See you in a bit."

They went upstairs and I quickly drank the whole glass before going outside of Oliver's room. I heard them talking, but when it went silent, I opened the door slightly and saw them kissing. I quickly and quietly shut the door and went back downstairs.

I'm gonna need something stronger than champagne.

I went to the other bar outside and ordered a bunch of shots. I drank them all quickly and Thea came up to me,

"You might want to slow down a bit, there, Adela."

"Haven't been drunk in a while. I miss the feeling when you don't give a shit anymore." I replied before standing up, stumbling a bit, before straightening, "Come dance with me, Thea."

"I forgot that you are a major lightweight." Thea mumbled before taking my hands and we went to dance.

A few minutes later someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around and saw Oliver.

"Ollie!" I exclaimed before wrapping my arms around his neck and swaying.

"Are you drunk?" Oliver asked me.

"Maybe." I replied.

"Come on, time for bed." Oliver said.

"But Ollliiieee! I'm not tired yet." I responded before he picked me up and went inside the house.

He walked me up to his room and put me on the bed. I sighed and laid back on his bed while he took my heels off.

"Come on, sit up." Oliver told me and I sat up.

He went over to his drawer and grabbed a t-shirt. Oliver helped me stand up and he turned me around to unzip my dress.

"Careful." I laughed, "If someone comes in, they might think something was up."

"No one's gonna walk in. I locked the door." Oliver replied as my dress slid off my shoulders and to the floor.

I raised my arms and he put his t-shirt on me and I fell backwards and onto the bed. I moved backwards until my head reached the pillows and Oliver helped me put the blankets over me, "Night, Ollie."

"Night, Adela."

I woke up what felt like only a few minutes later and saw Oliver fighting a man.

"Adela, stay there!" Oliver yelled.

"Oliver!" I yelled when the guy picked up a gun.

I covered my ears and closed my eyes as I heard gunshots. When I removed my hands and opened my eyes, the man Oliver was fighting was on the ground and Quentin, with a gun, was in the room.

* * *

We were brought downstairs and people were ordered to leave. I sat on the couch with Oliver and Thea came and gave me an ice pack and I put it on Oliver's thigh. Tommy stayed and sat in the chair and Thea sat on the other side of me.

"How did you know I was in trouble?" Oliver asked Quentin when he put away his phone.

"Because when the guy was fighting you, he broke your ankle monitor." Quentin answered.

"Are you alright?!" Moira asked as she and Walter entered the room.

"I'm fine." Oliver answered.

"Oliver..."

"Mom, I promise." Oliver replied.

Moira turned and pointed her finger at Quentin, "This is on you. By accusing my son publicly, you've made him a target."

"Do you have any idea who attacked Oliver?" Walter asked.

"We haven't identified him. Though it must be someone with a grudge against the Hood, obviously." Quentin answered before reaching for Oliver's ankle monitor.

"What are you doing?" Oliver asked.

"I got a call from my Lieutenant. An arms dealer was attacked across town tonight. By the vigilante. Multiple witnesses put him there. In light of that, all charges against your son are being dropped."

"I'm truly sorry for what's happened to your family, Quentin." Moira said told the Detective, "But would you kindly get the hell out of my house?"

Quentin began to walk away, "Mr. Lance... thank you."

He nodded before leaving.


	6. Chapter 6

I was at the bank this morning to get a deposit when the doors opened and three people with masks and guns came in and one shot the gun into the air,

"Get down, everybody, get down!" Another yelled and I got onto the floor with everyone, "Nobody lifts their head, nobody gets hurt!"

"You can't jack hammer into the safe. It's too thick." One of the workers said and one of the robbers punched him,

"Shut up!"

"We're through." One said to the other.

"Three minutes."

"Make it two!"

The guy next to me moved his hand towards his ankle, where I saw a small gun hidden.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" A lady asked him.

"Don't worry." Th guy replied and he showed us his badge, "I'm a cop."

"Please don't do anything." The lady whispered. "I don't want to die. Please!"

"Shh." I told her.

The guy came over and shot the cop in the back and I screamed.

"What the hell's going on?"

They flipped the cop over and grabbed his badge, "He was a cop."

"Stop throwing shots."

I heard sirens outside and the robbers faced the door, "You hear that? Someone triggered the alarm!'

The guy who shot the cop pointed the gun towards the people but the other one stopped him, "Don't. That's it. Let's go."

"Starling City Police Department. Lay down your weapons and come out with your hands up. Repeat, lay down your weapons and come out with your hands up." A police person said through a megaphone.

The robber who shot the cop stared down at me and I stared back. He grabbed a mask from his bag and chucked it at me, "Put it on."

He gave everyone a mask and ordered us to put them on, then they let us run out. We all stopped at the bottom of the steps and held out hands up in surrender and the cops rushed inside.

We were all questioned, and when we were free to go, I called Laurel. I was too shaken to drive. She picked me up and brought me to her apartment. She didn't ask me any questions, just made me coffee and comforted me.

"They shot that cop right in front of me. He was reaching for his gun and the woman next to him asked him not to do anything. That she didn't want to die. And now he's dead. All because she didn't want to die." I whispered.

"Oh god, Adela." Laurel whispered before hugging me.

That night I spent at Laurel's. I didn't go to sleep, every time that I closed my eyes, I saw that guy get shot.

"Adela, I have to go to work and I don't want to leave you alone." Laurel said to me the next morning.

"I'll be fine, Laurel. I can walk home." I replied, sitting up.

"I don't want you to do that." Laurel responded.

"Seriously, Laurel, I can walk home." I walked over to the door and put my shoes on.

"I'll drop you off on my way to work." Laurel said, grabbing her keys.

I sighed and followed her out the door and to her car. She dropped me off at my house before driving away. I originally wanted to go to the factory, where Oliver and Diggle would be, so I put on some sneakers, since my car was still at the bank, and walked over to the factory

"Adela, hey, how are you?" Diggle asked when I walked down the steps.

"I'm fine." I answered, "Where's Oliver?"

"Police station. The robber that shot Officer Washington was wearing a highschool ring. An imprint of it was left on a guy's face that he punched so Oliver went to get a picture." Diggle answered.

"Good." I said, sitting down.

"You should be at home." I turned around and saw Oliver wearing his vigilante outfit.

"Why?" I asked.

'Because a guy was shot in front of you."

"I'm fine! Why does no one believe that!" I exclaimed, "I'm not some little girl who's scared of everything around her!"

I stood up and left with Oliver calling my name. I walked down the street towards the bank to get my car when I heard voices in the alley.

"Please, take my wallet, take my purse, but don't hurt my child." I heard a woman sob.

"Mommy." I heard a young boy cry.

"Shut the kid up." A man said and I heard someone throw a punch.

I quietly went into the alley and I put my hood up and watched. There were three men, two held the woman, and one with a bandana held a little boy. The men wore masks and one man had a gun, I'm guessing he's the leader. The woman was crying and was held against the wall by the two men.

Okay, so Oliver disguises his voice. So, should I use a disguise mine?

"Let them go." I demanded in British accent.

What? It was the first thing I could think of.

The men looked at each other before laughing, and what it a little british girl like you gonna do?" The leader asked.

"Let them go or you're gonna find out." I walked towards them and one of the men holding the woman walked to me. He tried to punch me and I grabbed his fist and bent his arm so he fell onto his knees and I kneed him in the face, knocking him backwards. I stepped on his chest and over him, waiting for another. The leader nodded to guy holding the kid with the bandana and he let the kid go before running over to me. moved to the side and held my foot out and the guy tripped. I smirked and looked at the leader. He let go of the woman and went over to me and held his gun towards my face. I grabbed the gun and elbowed him in the stomach and flipped him over my shoulder before taking the clip out of the gun and throwing as far as I could.

I turned to the mother and son, "Go now. I'll make sure the police take these guys in. They won't bother you again."

"Thank you." The mother told me before she grabbed her kid and they left.

The guy with the bandana stood up again and I kicked him in the chest to knock him down before I took off his bandana and tied it around his wrists. I walked out of the alley and saw a payphone. I took a quarter out of my pocket and stuck it in before dialing 911.

"911, what's your emergency."

"Yes, hello, I was attacked by these three guys." I said.

"Okay, where is your location, ma'am?"

"I'm on fifth street in the alley between the antique shop and an apartment complex." I answered.

"I am sending available officers to your location. Please stay there until they arrive." The woman said before I hung up.

I looked around before going over to the fire escape in the alley and climbing up to the roof. I waited until the police came and took the three away. Once they cleaned up and everything, I climbed down and continued towards the bank to grab my car.

When I walked into my living room I saw Oliver sitting on my couch.

"Hey." He stood up when he saw me, "Where were you?"

I showed him my keys, "Had to get my car from the bank. It's been sitting there for a few days, didn't want anyone to take it."

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said earlier." Oliver apologized.

I shook my head, "No need to apologize. You were just looking out for me. But Oliver, I'm fine. Yes, it was scary, but it's over. And the guy isn't dead, he's in a coma."

"I get that you're fine now, it's just that Laurel called me and told me that she was worried about you. You weren't eating and you weren't sleeping-"

"Ollie, I hardly do that anyway." I replied.

Oliver put his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet, "Well, uh, Laurel also told me that the Meryln Global Group is sponsoring a benefit for CNRI."

"Yeah..." Where was this going?

"Tommy invited me and Laurel wanted me to invite you. So... I was wondering if you wanted to go. With me." Oliver said.

"Like... as a date or...?"

"Like a date, yes." Oliver continued.

I smiled, "Sure."

* * *

A few days later I was at the factory with Oliver, listening to a conversation Derek Reston was having with his wife when Diggle came in.

"What's this?"

"I dropped a bug in Derek Reston's jacket." Oliver answered.

"I thought you were gonna give the man a second chance." Diggle said.

"That's what I believe in. I also believe in covering all my bases." Oliver replied before we continued to listen to the conversation.

_"All right. One more."_ Derek said.

"Now what?" I asked.

"We take them down." Oliver answered.

* * *

I got dressed in a black lace dress and black heels at my home before Oliver came and picked me up with Diggle.

"Monitor the Reston's with this." Oliver told Diggle, handing him an ear piece, "When you get a line on their plans, we move."

"And you're gonna do another abrupt exit?" Diggle asked.

"I'm getting better at it with practice." Oliver replied before we locked elbows and headed inside.

Oliver saw his mom talking to a few ladies and we walked over to her, "Hi."

Moira turned to look at us before turning back to the women, 'Excuse me."

"Well. I'm surprised you made it tonight, given your hectic schedule." Moira said.

"Mom, I messed up with the Bowens yesterday. I made you a promise. I couldn't keep it." Oliver replied.

"Well, it's nothing new for you, Oliver."

I winced. Ouch, that gotta hurt. Especially from your mother.

"I know you and I have had our difficulties, but despite all my many mistakes, I always thought that you and I had a connection. So can you imagine... just imagine, after being granted the miracle of having my child returned to me... that you seem to have little or no interest in being with me or telling me the truth.

Moira looked at someone behind us and I turned to look at Diggle,

"Ma'am."

"I have to go. I'm sorry.." Oliver told Moira before we walked away with Diggle behind us.

"Redwood United Bank. They're going to try a nighttime hit." Diggle told us.

"Alright." Oliver turned to me, "Are you going to be okay alone?"

"Thea's here. So is Laurel, and Jo, and Tommy. I'll be okay. Just go catch Derek and his family." I kissed Oliver's cheek before walking away to find someone.

"Did you know, as a doctor, I was able to diagnose myself as a giant tool?" Tommy said to himself.

I looked over and saw Laurel dancing with Carter Bowen.

"Come on, Tommy, Laurel doesn't go for people like Carter." I told him.

"And what kind of person is Carter?" Tommy asked me.

"A jackass." I answered, "I dated him for two months senior year. Worst two months ever."

"How about a dance, handsome?" Thea asked Tommy, putting her arm on his shoulder.

"Hey, uh, I thought we agreed that you were going to call me before you did something stupid." Tommy said, putting down his drink and faced Thea.

Thea laughed, "You're no fun. I'm going to show you how to have some fun."

The went in to kiss Tommy, but Tommy grabbed her hands and backed up, 'Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?"

"You said I was amazing." Thea's smile fell.

"Yeah, you are amazing, but you're also like my little sister. My baby sister." Tommy replied.

"Well, I'm not a baby anymore." Thea said. "Thank you for noticing. Laurel doesn't even like you. She doesn't understand you. I do. Why can't you see that?"

"Thea." I began but Tommy held up his hand to shush me.

"Thea, it was a mistake to talk to you about girls and stuff. It was inappropriate, and I think it may have confused you." Tommy grabbed her and the three of us started walking away from Laurel.

"Yeah, the rejection? It is pretty clear. Even if it wasn't, between my mom and Oliver, and everybody else in my life, I'm pretty much used to it now, so..." She turned to walk away but ran into a waiter an knocked his drinks over.

Tommy grabbed her and we walked towards the door, "Let's go, let's go, come on."

We brought Thea outside and she began to puke in the bushes and I moved her hair out of her face and rubbed her back. Tommy gave her his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

"Tommy?" Laurel asked, walking outside.

"Yep."

"Is Thea okay?"

"Yeah," He answered, "She just had some bad crab cakes."

"Are you sure it wasn't something she drank?" Laurel asked.

"Don't worry. I got this. You can go back inside. Keep having fun." Tommy told her, "Looked like you were having a nice little Do-Si-Do with the good doctor."

"Tommy, I'm going to let you in on a little-known secret about Dr. Carter Bowen. The man is a gigantic ass." Laurel said.

"I have been informed." Tommy replied.

"The only reason why I danced with him is because he wrote a massive check to NCRI." Laurel explained. "Why would you think anything else?"

"I guess when it comes to you, I tend not to think straight." Tommy replied.

"Can you call me a cab?" Thea asked.

I put my arm around Thea's shoulder and walked up to them, "That was cute. So, I'm gonna go find Diggle and I'm gonna have him drive Thea and I home. You two have a great rest of your night."

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Laurel asked as she hugged me.

"Yeah, see tomorrow." I pulled away and hugged Tommy, "Go get her, cowboy."

I found Diggle and he drove Thea to her house and we went to the factory where Oliver was waiting. He told us what happened. Derek Reston was dead. He died protecting his son.

"What went down wasn't your fault, Oliver." I said.

"I didn't say it was." Oliver replied.

"Oliver, it wasn't your fault, man. You gave Reston a chance. That was more than he deserved." Diggle said.

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Well, listen, I'll tell you this much. You say going after the guy son that list is the way you honored your dad?" Diggle asked and Oliver nodded, "Well, if your dad could have seen you this week, the way you cared about the people he has hurt, the way you stepped up to try to help them, I'd say he'd be pretty damn honored. So maybe there is more than one way to save this city?"

"Maybe."

"By the way, Stan Washington woke up." Diggle said.

"Really?" I asked.

He nodded, "He's going to be fine."


	7. Chapter 7

I took a whole week off of work to go on a small vacation... sorta. It was like a mini Christmas vacation, I went to Central City to visit my cousin, Barry. He's my mom's sister's kid. Nora died when I was fourteen by this tornado thing. At least, that's what Barry told me. The police decided to arrest Uncle Henry, Barry's dad, instead.

Barry got adopted after his mom died and his dad went to jail. He was nice. He let me come over whenever I wanted when I was younger.

When I got back, I saw Diggle and Oliver training. With knives.

Diggle stopped, "Adela. You're back."

Oliver swung at Diggle and got him in the arm and I winced.

"Always stay focused." Oliver told Diggle before facing me, "How was your vacation?"

"It was great." I answered, setting my bag on the table and sitting down in one of the chairs, "My cousin actually has a job for once."

"Oh, yeah? Where?" Oliver asked.

"Central City Police Department. He's a assistant for the Criminal and Forensic Science Division." I replied.

"Well, good for him." Oliver said as he sat in the chair next to me.

"No kidding. It's a miracle." I mumbled.

"Got to take my nephew over to the mall so he can let Santa know what he wants for Christmas." Diggle said.

"Oh. Christmas." Oliver responded, leaning back in the chair, "I didn't even realize."

"Well, that's because you've been logging in so many Hood hours ever since that thing with Helena." Diggle replied.

"Who?"

"No one." Oliver replied, glaring at Diggle, "I meant... there were no holidays on the island. Everyday was... how do I stay alive? To do that, you had to forget things, like Christmas. My dad threw a party every year, and he would put a Christmas tree in every room. The whole mansion smelled like... it smelled like Christmas."

"I remember those. Those parties were best. Thea, Laurel, and I would always mess up your kitchen by making cookies before the party." I smiled.

"You always made the best gingerbread cookies." Oliver smiled at me.

"Maybe you can give the list a rest and just enjoy the holidays with your family. Besides, I hear St. Nick has a list of his own." Diggle said before he stood up and walked towards the door. "I wager you're in the 'nice' column."

Once Diggle was gone I grabbed my purse and held my hand out to Oliver, "Come on, I'll take you home."

* * *

The next morning Oliver called me and told me about what happened to Adam Hunt. He's dead. Killed by the vigilante. Excpet, Oliver didn't kill him.

"Who would kill Adam Hunt with an arrow?" Diggle questioned, "I mean, other than you?"

"A setup, maybe."

"You mean someone looking to cover up killing Hunt by making it look like the work of the Hood?" I asked.

"Whoever he was, he's good." Oliver replied, "The grouping on Hunt's chest was tight. It's a compound bow, most likely. The guy is a... the guy's a legitimate archer."

"So someone who would be particular about his choice in arrows." Diggle said.

"We get an arrow, we get a bead on where he purchased them." Oliver said.

"So what are you gonna do?" I asked him.

"What anyone does when they need help." Oliver faced us, "Call a cop."

Oliver changed into regular clothes and purchased a smart phone. Then he sent it to Detective Lance. I sat on the table next to the computer as Oliver called the phone and talked to Lance. Once he hung up, he grabbed his jacket.

"I have lunch with Thea. Want to come?" He asked me.

I shook my head and got off the table, "I have to work. Double shift since I had a week off."

"Ohhh. Have fun!" Oliver exclaimed as I walked towards the stairs.

"Screw off, Queen!" I replied before leaving.

* * *

I worked late into the night and into the early morning. It wasn't until eight when my shift was over. As I walked home, I got a call from Oliver.

"Guess who is throwing a Christmas party?" Ollie asked.

"Honey Boo Boo." I yawned.

"Who?"

"Nevermind." I laughed.

"Whatever. I am. My mom is letting me throw a Christmas party. And you're invited." Oliver replied.

"Thanks, Ollie." I responded, "Do you need me to help with the copycat tonight?"

"No, Adela, I can handle it on my own. You sound tired, get some rest and look great at the party tomorrow night." Oliver answered.

"Alright. Bye, Ollie."

"See you later, A." Oliver replied before I hung up.

* * *

The next night I got dressed in a short red, flared out dress with black layers underneath with a red bow on the back. I also put on black heels that had small bows on it.

I drove there early, and I had Thea come with me to make cookies in their kitchen for the party. We made peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses on top and gingerbread men and some brownies with sprinkles.

Oliver wasn't home yet when the party started, funny, because it was his idea. I helped make the table and placed the cookies and champagne on it.

I was in the lounge with Thea, Moira, and Walter when Oliver walked in and Thea's boytoy not far behind.

"You guys look great." Oliver smiled at us. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." We all replied at the same time.

"Let's get a Holiday photo." Oliver suggested.

"I already sent out our Christmas cards, Oliver." Moira replied as Oliver got close to me and the camera positioned his camera.

"Mom, let's get a picture just for the five of us." Oliver responded.

"Of course." She agreed and Oliver put his arm around my waist and we all smiled as the camera man took a picture.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Queen." Thea's boytoy stepped in and held out a bouquet of flowers, "These are for you."

"Well, thank you. I'll go put them in some water." She replied, taking them and Thea took him away.

"Oh, no, I got it, Moira." I smiled at her.

"Thank you, dear." Moira smiled back and I took the flowers and walked into the kitchen.

I found a vase and filled it with water before setting the flowers inside. I walked towards the door back into the lounge when I bumped into Oliver.

"Nice brownies." He said, chewing on a piece of brownies.

"Thanks."I replied and Oliver smirked.

"What?"

Oliver pointed to something above our heads and I looked up and saw a mistletoe.

"Mistletoe." He said, "Now you have to kiss me."

I gave him a little glare, "You didn't set this up, did you?"

"No." He lied.

I smiled and grabbed the lapels of his jacket. Oliver leaned down and closed his eyes and I leaned up and kissed the corner of his mouth before letting go of his jacket and leaving.

I met up with Laurel and Tommy, and Laurel excused herself to go talk to Oliver. I was talking with Tommy when Diggle came over,

"Excuse us." I told Tommy before following Diggle to Oliver's room.

"The Archer's taking hostages." Diggle informed me as he turned on the news.

"Where's Oliver?" I asked.

"I'll go find him." Diggle replied before leaving and returned with Oliver a few minutes later.

"Happy Holidays, Starling City. For the past three months, this city has been laid siege by a vigilante. But the police have been unable to bring him to justice because they lack the will to do what justice demands." A woman sobbed, "I will kill one hostage... every hour in the name of this vigilante until he surrenders himself to my authority."

"Police are on the scene, Oliver." Diggle said after he turned the tv off, "I think you should let them handle this."

"Those people are there because of me. I have to end this." Oliver replied.

The three of us quickly got into Oliver's car and Diggle drove us to the warehouse and Oliver quickly changed into the Hood and left.

"What if he needs backup?" I asked.

"Adela, he'll be fine. Besides, what can we do anyway?" Diggle replied.

"Well, I'm not gonna sit here and wait for him to get hurt." I said before going upstairs.

I hid a pair of black yoga pants and a black hoodie in a small compartment in the supply closet after the incident in the alley with the three guys. After quickly changing into the clothes ad black sneakers, I grabbed a few knives from the drawer in the bar area and left for the building.

I watched from a window on the roof, unnoticed by the police, and watched as the Archer and the vigilante fought. The Hood got two arrows to his back, and one to his leg. Hr fell limp after being kicked the crap out of him, and when the Archer went to grabbed the green hood, I jumped in.

"Pardon the interruption." I said in the British accent.

Hey, I kinda like it. Don't judge.

I stabbed a knife into the Archer's thigh and I punched him in the stomach and in the jaw, making him fall to the ground. When I turned around, Oliver was gone.

As I searched for him, I got a call.

"Ollie? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Help." Oliver said before the line went dead.

"Shit." I mumbled before going back to searching for him, but much faster.

When I found him, he was unconscious. I called Diggle, and he soon came and picked us up. When we got back to the warehouse, I cleaned Oliver up. He had a concussion and a few broken ribs, that much I could tell. But I can't do anything else without the proper equipment. So Diggle brought him to the hospital. And I changed back into my dress before going to the hospital. I sat outside with Walter, Thea, and Moira and Diggle was with Ollie.

"Well, thank god you were wearing a helmet." Walter said when we got to see Oliver.

"I told them how you were on your bike and a semi pulled right out in front of you." I told Oliver.

"What were you even doing out?" Moira asked.

"You bailed on your party." Thea said.

"It seemed like the right move. I mean, like you said, it... wasn't the best timing." Oliver told his little sister.

Thea sighed, "Okay, but when I was saying that, that was me being a bitch."

"Oh, the truth is, I don't think any of us were at our best." Moira replied.

"The real truth is, you wanted to have a party to bring us closer together. Well... here we are." Walter said, his and Moira's heads leaning against each other.

Oliver chuckled slightly and he winced, "Ah!"

"We're gonna let you get some rest, hmm?" Moira kissed Oliver's forehead before leaving the room with Walter.

"So... we never got to the exchanging presents part." Thea told Oliver.

"I don't think I deserve a present." Oliver replied.

"Look, I know that I've been hard on you, about being different from the way you were. But the truth is, Ollie, I'm not the same person I was five years ago, either." Thea said.

"So maybe we can just accept each other." Oliver offered. "Not for who we were, but for the people we are now."

Thea nodded, "Yeah."

She pulled out a few candycanes, "No cheating."

Soon Thea left and Diggle and I stayed. Oliver stood up and used a cane to walk over to the window, "You know, when I confront somebody on the list, I tell them that they failed the city. But tonight, it was me who failed."

"Ollie, five hostages are home tonight with their families enjoying the holidays. All because of you. This guy, the Archer, he'll get his. And you'll give it to him." I replied.

"We might have a bigger problem. The other Archer told me that somebody compiled the list. I always assumed it was my father. But what if it wasn't?" Oliver said.

"What do you mean?" Diggle asked.

"I think there's someone else out there. Someone who's more of a danger than the Archer. And I am going to take him down." Oliver answered.

* * *

**Have a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays! Whether you celebrate Christmas or something else, or nothing!**


	8. Chapter 8

I sat in the warehouse, watching Oliver train. And it is very distracting. Until he used his arrow. He threw a tennis ball into the air, and he shot his arrow. But he missed it. He always makes it.

Every since his fight with the Archer, he's lost confidence. He hasn't been doing well. Especially since Walter went missing.

"You should teach me how to shoot." I spoke up.

"What?"

"You should teach me how to shoot with a bow." I repeated.

"You serious?" Oliver asked.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it." I replied.

"Hey." We turned and saw Diggle walk in.

"Any news on Walter?" I asked him.

"My contact at the Bureau struck out." Diggle answered. "Same with my guy at Interpol. They're both saying the same thing."

"Either my stepfather doesn't want to be found or someone doesn't want him to be found." Oliver said.

"It's been six weeks, Oliver. No contact from the kidnappers, no ransom demand, no proof of life. I hate to sound-"

"Dig... we all know he's more than likely dead." Oliver interrupted.

"What do you want to do?" Diggle asked.

"I don't know." He answered, "Even my contacts in the Bratva can't dig up a lead."

"I wasn't talking about Walter." Diggle replied before picking up the book with the names inside, "Back at fighting weight, it looks like. And last I checked, there were more than a few names to cross off in this book."

"Those people aren't going anywhere. With Walter missing, my family needs me right now." Oliver responded.

* * *

A few days later, I was once again in the warehouse. Oliver said he would teach me how to use a bow and arrow, but once I learn to fight.

If only he knew it was me who saved his ass from the Archer.

After we've been sparing for an hour, Oliver's phone rang. Not his cell phone, the phone he uses to call Laurel's dad.

"Hello?"

It was Laurel.

"I need your help."

That night Oliver went over to Laurel's as the vigilante. When he came back, he had a file. Laurel and Jo think that Danny, Jo's brother, was murdered. After we looked at the file, we continued fighting.

* * *

The next day I was working. It wasn't until late at night that I arrived at the warehouse. I just opened the door to go downstairs when I heard Diggle,

"So Laurel's on her own against a murderer who burns people alive?"

"I can't right every wrong in this city." Oliver replied.

"No, I get that, Oliver. But maybe you're not back to one hundred percent like you thought." Diggle said.

"Maybe I'm not." Oliver responded before I heard punching and grunts from both of the guys.

I quietly walked downstairs and saw Diggle pinned to one of the tables, "What did that prove?"

"This is one sturdy desk." Diggle joked, "And clearly, your problem isn't physical."

"I never said I had a problem!"

"You didn't have to, Oliver." Diggle replied, "But this guy, the other Archer, he got into your head, he took something from you."

"That's enough."

"He took whatever's in your heart that lets you jump off buildings an take down bad guys." Diggle said.

"Thank you for the analysis." Oliver replied.

"You can avoid Laurel, Oliver, avoid me, avoid Adela, avoid this, as long as you want. But until you're ready to take a hold of the fear that's in you, you might as well let that Archer kill you." Diggle continued.

There was a text alert, and I watched Oliver take out his phone, "Text from Tommy."

He grabbed his jacket and walked towards where I was, in the shadows by the stairs, "I need to run an errand for the benefit at the fireman's station."

"Maybe while you're at it, you can let me know if you still want to be a vigilante or just a nightclub owner." Diggle replied.

* * *

"How are you?" I asked Oliver the next day.

I was walking home from work when I saw him and Laurel talking in front of the fire department.

"I'm fine." He sighed.

"What's with you and Laurel?" I asked.

"She's trying to find out information about the Fireflies. The guy going around killing firefighters, he used to be apart of that group." Oliver answered.

"Wow, that's a lot of information. Are you close to catching him?" I questioned.

"Want to go to the benefit together tonight?" Oliver asked, changing the subject.

"Tonight? That's a last minute notice, Ollie." I replied.

"Yeah, sorry, a lot's been going on lately." He said.

"I understand. And yes, I'll go with you tonight." I answered.

"Great. I'll pick you up at 6."

* * *

When I got home I quickly looked through my closet for a dress tonight. I picked out a tight, dark blue, long sleeved dress that ended at mid-thigh and I picked out heels that were the same color.

I turned on my straightener and straightened my blond hair before getting dressed.

Oliver soon picked me up with Diggle, and we went to the nightclub. We walked through the crowd and saw Laurel and Tommy.

"Excuse me." Oliver smiled at them, "Can I borrow Laurel for a second?"

"Absolutely." Tommy replied.

Oliver grabbed my hand and the three of us walked over to Chief Raynes.

"Cheif Raynes, hi." Oliver greeted.

"Mr. Queen, this is spectacular." Raynes replied. "The Starling City firemen's relief association can't thank you enough."

"You guys are the real heros." Oliver responded. "Like at the Nodell Tower fire, which I've been reading up on."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Garfield Lynn was the first man to die in your unit. Now, I read that they recovered his coat in the wreckage, but they never found his body?" Oliver said.

What are they talking about?

"You always interrogate your club's guests, Mr. Queen?" Raynes asked.

"Why? Do you feel like you're being interrogated?" Oliver replied.

"You could see it on your face at the fire station. There's more to the Nodell Tower fire than people know about, isn't there?" Laurel asked.

"I've been doing this a long time and I've never seen a fire like that. It's like some monster out of a science fiction movie. I radioed for my men to get the hell out of there. But Lynns, he wouldn't go. Begged me to send the unit back in. But I wouldn't do it. I couldn't. God help me. I left him to burn." Raynes told us before downing his drink, "But I can't bring him back."

"You don't have to." Oliver replied. "He is back."

"What the hell you talkin' about?" Raynes asked.

"Garfield Lynns killed Danny." I said. "And the other men in your unit."

"There's no way he could have survived that fire." Raynes stated.

"You'd be surprised the power of revenge can give you." Oliver replied.

"Look, you're insane. Gar did not make it out of that building." Raynes responded.

"Just like you won't make it out of this one." I heard a man say behind me.

I turned around and saw him throw something and it exploded, starting a fire. Oliver pushed Laurel and I behind him as Garfield took off his helmet, showing his half scarred face. Around us there was screaming and everyone made their way to the exit.

"Gar, what the hell are you doing?" Raynes asked.

Garfield took a hose and pointed it to us, "Run."

"Go!" Oliver exclaimed.

He grabbed my hand and we ran towards the door that would take us to the basement. We quickly went in there and Oliver got out his bow. He quickly changed and headed for the stairs,

"Ollie!"

He turned to face me and I kissed him, "Be careful."

"I will." Oliver replied before leaving.

* * *

Lynns died. After Oliver saved Raynes, Lynns burned himself.

The next morning I woke up alone in Oliver's bed wearing one of his shirts. I got up and walked downstairs when I saw Moira, all dressed and was walking towards the front door.

"Moira."

She looked up at me, "Oh, Adela, good morning! I didn't know you spent the night."

"The incident at the club last night kinda spooked me. Oliver didn't want me to be alone. You seemed to be in a good mood." I replied as I walked down the rest of the stairs.

"I am. I'm going to the office today. You have a good day." Moira kissed my cheek before going over to the door.

"You, too." I replied before she left.

"Morning." I turned around and saw Oliver.

"Morning." I responded.

"Get dressed. We're going out." Oliver ordered.

"What?" I asked.

"Are last few dates ended fairly quickly. We are going out to eat breakfast." Oliver replied.

"But I don't have any clothes-"

"You're Thea's size, aren't you? Just wear something of her's. I'm sure she won't mind." Oliver replied.

* * *

After eating at a pancake place, Oliver dropped me off at my house. I changed into my scrubs and went to work. After my shift was over, I ran into Diggle at the club,

"Good thing the fire didn't spread to down here." Diggle commented when we went downstairs and saw Oliver hanging upside down.

"It's one of the benefits of concrete and steel construction." He replied.

"Thank you." Oliver thanked Diggle.

"What for?"

"You know what for." Oliver smiled.

"So what's next?" Diggle asked. "More training?"

"No." Oliver held up the book, "We go hunting."

I sat down and something caught my eye on the desk. It was a knife. One a lot like the one I used when I saved Oliver from the Archer.

"What's this?" I asked, picking it up.

"Oh, I didn't tell you guy this." Oliver replied.

"Tell us what?" Diggle asked.

"That night, when I fought the Archer, some girl saved me. She dropped that knife when she took him down." Oliver said.

"Who was she?" I asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that she's British. But I'm going to find out."


	9. Chapter 9

After I got off work at eleven at night, I called Oliver, but he didn't answer. So, I drove down to the nightclub and to the basement. No one was there, but Oliver's bow was missing. So I sat in a chair and played Flappy Bird until he came back.

And when he did, he looked angry. And so did Diggle.

"I could've shot you. I could've killed you!" Oliver exclaimed, "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I'm not gonna let you William Tell an innocent man!" Diggle answered.

"Gaynor isn't innocent, Diggle."

"You seem to think that mainly because of what's in you're damn book, which you apparently trust more than you trust me." Diggle said.

"I trust my father. And he explained to me that every name on that list has a reason to be there." Oliver replied.

"I thought you took that book off your father's dead body. How can he have been so chatty?" Diggle asked.

"A few years ago, I found a message he left me explaining the list." Oliver answered.

"Oliver, how is that possible? You were on a deserted island?"

"I didn't say that I found it on the island." He replied. "Diggle, for the last four months, I have lied to, hurt, and hid things from all of the people that I care about. Do you really think that I would do all of this if I wasn't sure?"

Diggle was silent for a moment, "Oliver, listen. Gaynor got me into Blackhawk, and I'm gonna prove he's innocent."

"And if he isn't?" Oliver asked.

Diggle loaded his gun angrily, "If he's not, I'll be the one to take him down myself. You owe me that. You owe me at least that."

"What's going on?" I asked Oliver after Diggle left.

"A man on the list, Ted Gaynor, was Diggle's commanding officer in Afghanistan." He answered.

"Well, I would be mad, too, if you said someone I trust was on that list of yours." I replied before standing and leaving.

* * *

The next day I went dress shopping with Thea and Moira before leaving for work. I bought a black and pink short dress that was bejeweled on the top. I didn't need shoes since I could wear just plain black pumps that I had at home. I bought her some jewelry for her birthday, and when I got home I wrapped them.

The next night at the party I was dancing when I felt arms around me.

"You look nice."

I turned around and slapped Oliver lightly on the chest, "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry." He chuckled, "This party's pretty crazy, isn't it?"

"Oh come on, you used to throw parties like this all the time." I replied. "I'm going to go get a drink."

Oliver kissed my cheek, "Don't be too long."

As I waited for my drink, Thea came up to me with her car keys, "Wanna go for a test drive?"

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine, Adela. I just want to get some fresh air." Thea answered.

"I'm supposed to be getting back to Oliver-" I turned around, trying to spot him in the crowd.

"Come on, Adela. We're only going around the block."

I sighed, "Fine."

* * *

"Thea, aren't you going a little fast?!" I asked.

"Don't be a whiner, Adela!" Thea replied.

Thea turned the music up and went to turn a corner and there was a car.

"Oh shit!" She yelled and everything went black.

* * *

I sat in the waiting room, waiting for Moira and Oliver. I was fine, just a few scratches and bruises.

I saw Oliver and Moira turn the corner and into the hallway I was sitting in.

"Are you alright?" Oliver asked as his mom went into Thea's room.

"I'm sorry, Oliver, I had no idea-"

He cut me off by kissing me, "It's fine."

Oliver grabbed my hand and we walked into the room,

"Do you remember what happened, sweetheart?" Moira asked her.

Thea let out a small laugh, "You go away."

"Thea, please."

"I said I'm fine." Thea replied and we left.

* * *

I spent the night at Oliver's, and he told me what happened with Diggle and his commanding officer, and the next day we went to the nightclub and saw Diggle on the computer,

"Cops give you a hard time?"

"Nah. I explained to them that me and Gaynor were old war buddies. He tried to rope me in..." He sighed, "When I refused, he kidnapped Carly, everything else happened under duress." Diggle turned to face us, "I screwed up. Obviously Gaynor wasn't who I thought he was."

"Yeah, but, you were right, too. When you told me that I trusted the list more than I trusted you... Diggle, the truth is, after what happened to me on the island... it's difficult for me to trust... anything. But you do. And that reminds me why I chose you as my partner. It's because you see the best in people." Oliver opened the book filled with names and turned to the page with Gaynor in it and handed it over to Diggle.

I grabbed a pen from the table beside me and gave it to Diggle. He crossed out Gaynor's name, "I learned something, too. Until you tell me, I'll never want to know what other names are in this book."

Oliver took the book back, and he and I left to go pick up Thea. We just left her room when we were stopped by a police officer,

"Is there a problem?" Oliver asked.

"We received a call from your doctor. In the event of a vehicular accident, they're required to report the result or the driver's tox screen." The police said, "Miss Queen tested positive for a narcotic called Vertigo."

"The drug they're using in the Glades?" Oliver asked Thea.

"Thea Queen, you're under arrest for driving under the influence of narcotics." The officer said as another came up behind her and handcuffed her.


	10. Chapter 10

I went to Thea's hearing with Moira and Oliver. The judge said she will go on to trial, if Thea Queen can't get away with it, no one can. Oliver left to go to the police station to give some information to the police about the drug, Vertigo.

Over the next few days I didn't see much of him. I don't blame him, he's worried about his sister. I'm worried, too. I'm supposed to be a witness at Thea's trial, since I was in the car with her.

"My father was able to get Judge Brackett to back off his hard line stance." Laurel told Thea when we got seated in the lounge.

"Your father hates me." Thea commented.

"No." Laurel, Oliver and I said at once.

"Quentin hates him." I said, nodding at Oliver.

"Look, nobody asked you to get involved." Thea told Laurel.

"I did." Oliver replied and Thea stared at him.

"The judge has agreed to a sentence of 500 hours of community service and two years of probation. Provisional on the appointment of someone to act in loco parentis." Laurel said.

"In loco what?" Thea asked.

"It means that the court will appoint an individual to assume responsibility for you." Laurel explained. "Me."

"I say thanks, but no thanks." Thea said.

"Thea!" Oliver got her attention, "You don't actually have a choice."

"Oh, actually, I do." Thea smiled, "See, I'm actually 18 now and I can make my own decisions. So I decide not to be your ex-girlfriend's office monkey."

"Well, if you change you mind, then." Laurel stood up and Oliver went to walk her out of the room before turning back to Thea,

"Thea... you're in trouble, and rightly so. Doing drugs and driving? It is beyond stupid. Especially when there was a passenger with you! That is a good deal that Laurel got you. Why aren't you jumping at it?" Oliver asked.

"I already have a mother."

"So..." Oliver paused, "You're going to go to jail and it will ruin the rest of your life."

"No," Thea chuckled and stood up, "I want to ruin mom's life. She's a liar and a cheat. I mean, deal with it, Ol. You can pretend all you want to that she's a saint, but I hate her. And she betrayed dad."

"So you're just- you're going to jail just to spite her?!" Oliver questioned. "Thea, mom didn't cheat on dad. He cheated on her."

I looked up at Oliver. Really?

"Is that the best you can come up with?" Thea asked.

"Dad wasn't the man he said he was. On 'The Queen's Gambit' right before he died, he admitted to me that he failed us. You. Me. And mom. That he wasn't the man he said he was and that he just wished... he wished he had more time to right his wrongs." Oliver said sadly.

"I don't believe you." Thea replied.

"Yes, you do."

"Leave me alone." Thea ordered before going upstairs to her room.

Oliver turned towards me, but before he could speak his eyes went to something behind me.

"How dare you." I turned around and saw Moira.

"She was old enough to know the truth." Oliver defended and Diggle came in.

When she left Diggle came towards us, "Oliver, the Russians called. The meet is set. It's tonight."

"Whoa, what Russian meeting is tonight?" I asked.

"Come on." Oliver told me.

We got into the car and Diggle drove us towards the nightclub and Oliver explained it all to me.

"I want to come, too." I told him.

"Uh, no. That's out of the question." Oliver replied.

"Why not?" I asked.

"What do you mean 'why not'? It's too dangerous, Adela." Oliver answered.

"I can fight!" I exclaimed.

"Just because you took down a douche bag with a couple of hits and managed not to get killed by some assassin chick doesn't mean you can fight! I'm dropping you off at the nightclub and you're going to wait for us." Oliver said.

I crossed my arms and stared at the window. Once we got to the nightclub, I got out and slammed the door behind me before Oliver could say anything and stomped into the building and over to my stash of my dark clothes. I quickly changed and went into the basement to the computer.

Oliver doesn't know, but I turned on the GPS on his phone about a month ago. I quickly got his address and went to go find him.

"You know why they call him the count?" A bald Russian guy from behind Oliver asked, "When he was developing this drug, he experimented on the homeless. Prostitutes, runaways. The police would find their bodies, puncture marks on their necks, like a vampire."

A car drove by and I hid in case they saw me and put my hood over my head, "You should not be in such a hurry to meet this man."

The car stopped and a young man in dark clothing holding a file got out of the passenger seat and bodyguards followed him. Oliver held up his hands in surrender as one of the men searched him for weapons and moved onto Diggle.

"Thank you for this." The Count held up the file, "But I'm not overly concerned about the SCPD. Now, I understand you gentlemen wish to participate in the feel good business."

"Yes." Oliver said.

"And why is that?" The Count asked.

"Well, I am opening a nightclub, and I'd like my customers to have a little... something extra." Oliver answered.

"Well, as it happens, I'm looking to expand my brand." The Count replied and a man brought out a briefcase, "A good wine's value is measured by its vintage. The number of years it took to ferment. Vertigo is measured in lives."

He opened the case, and I couldn't see what was inside until The Count pulled out a bag of the Vertigo, "56 people died to perfect this high. Believe me when I say that they did not die for nothing."

He handed the case to Oliver and I saw blue and red flashing lights and tires squealing.

"SCPD! Put your weapons down!" Quentin yelled, aiming his gun.

Guns were shot and they fled. The Count ran and Oliver followed behind him. He punched The Count's bodyguard and followed him down the steps and I followed also. I saw The Count inject something into Oliver's chest,

"No witnesses."

I pushed past Oliver and kicked The Count down the rest of stairs. I felt a hand on my arm and I turned to face Oliver,

"Who are you?" He asked, looking a bit dazed.

"You're guardian angel, apparently." I replied, breaking out the British accent.

He reached for my hood and I backed away. I looked down at where the Count was and he was gone. I saw Diggle appear and I ran. I knew I needed to get back to the nightclub to help Oliver when he and Diggle got back.

I quickly got rid of the clothes and only a few minutes later Diggle came in dragging Oliver.

"Get his shirt off." I ordered and cleared a table for him to lay down on.

I went into Oliver's box and opened it and looked around for his bag of magic grass. Once I did find it and all of his little utensils, I began to do what I saw Oliver do months ago when Diggle was shot. Once it was ready, I rushed over to Oliver,

"Diggle, hold him down." I ordered.

Once Diggle got Oliver's arms restrained, I put the bowl to his mouth and had him drink it. Once I got enough into his mouth, he pulled away and screamed before passing out.

I sat there the entire night. Oliver would kick and yell and punch. I had Diggle put handcuffs around one of his wrists and connect it to the table. I sat next to Oliver, waiting for him to wake up.

"Morning." I smiled when he opened his eyes.

He pulled on his wrists and looked at the handcuffs.

"How you feeling?" Diggle asked.

"I feel like I'm getting the worst hangover of my life." Oliver grunted as he sat up and I sat down next to him.

"That coming from a guy who spent most of his twenties in a hangover, that's really saying something." I joked.

"You think you can uncuff me?" Oliver asked, "Not going to kill any of you. Promise."

Diggle came over with the key and uncuffed Oliver. Oliver rubbed at his wrist before standing up and I put one hand on his waist and the other on his left bicep to keep him steady.

"You're standing. That's pretty impressive." Diggle commented before throwing him a hoodie and Oliver leaned onto the table to put it on, "The Count only got you with half a dose, but you still sweated a small swimming pool coming down."

Oliver sighed, "The Count. Any chance our friends in SCPD took him down?"

"None at all, but we did manage to get this." Diggle held up the two needles that were struck into Oliver's chest, "Think we should analyze it."

"Listen, Ollie," I began when he began walking towards the computer, "Maybe you should give it a few hours. A near drug overdose isn't something you just walk away from."

"Neither is Thea." Oliver replied as he went to the stairs and left.

Diggle followed and I sighed, looking around. I needed to get ready for work. After my twelve hour shift at the hospital, there was an alert on my phone. It was Oliver's GPS on his phone. What is he doing in the Glades?

"Oh, God, Ollie." I mumbled before rushing to my closet.

I put on a pair of black skinny jeans and a dark green hoodie and I chuckled, Oliver and I matched. I grabbed a few knives from my kitchen and began to drive towards the detention center.

After watching him take down three guys and stumbling up the stairs, I dropped in behind him and he turned to kick me. I dodged and backed away, "Easy there, tiger."

"You. What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Well, I've decided to help out since... you're recovering from a hangover?" I answered.

"Who are you anyway-"

"Look, we don't have time for this. Are we going to stop The Count or not?" I replied before continuing up the steps.

A man came through a doorway and I grabbed his arm and flipped him over a few moments before I was kicked in the back, sending my to the wall. The other man came towards me but Oliver punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

"Thanks." I whispered and he nodded.

As we continued up the staircases, more men came and we both took them down.

"He's here!"

"He who?"

"The Hood! And someone else!"

We came into the room and people ran and others shot. I used a knife to take down one of the men shooting at us and Oliver took down the other with a knife of his own.

"You should have stuck to your depraved elite." The Count said to Oliver, pointing a gun at him, "I am merely providing people with what they want. I am providing a public service!"

"So am I." Oliver replied before throwing a knife at The Count, knocking the gun out of his hand.

I stood to the side and watched as they fought and I saw Oliver stick a syringe into The Count's arm.

"Enjoy the fruits of your labor." Oliver told him before pushing the Vertigo into The Count's body.

"Freeze! Put down the needle!" Quentin yelled as him and two more police came in.

I quietly moved over to the window and escaped before they noticed me.


	11. Chapter 11

"So this book contains a list of the names of the guys you've been hunting." Diggle stated, holding up the book, "And this book, your mother's, has the same list of names."

"It's identical." Oliver said, taking the book back.

"So where'd your mother get her copy, Oliver?" Diggle asked, "For that matter, who gave it to you?"

"Felicity Smoak." Oliver answered. "She said that Walter found it in their bedroom."

"And now he's missing." Diggle said.

"She's my mother, Diggle." Oliver replied. "She's not the kind of person who would-"

"Have her husband disappeared?" Diggle interrupted, "Because that's really the question, isn't it, Oliver? I understand why you would believe your mother over your stepfather, but I tend to believe the innocent party is whoever's missing and presumed dead."

Oliver sat there for a moment before standing up and walked towards me,

"Come on. We have a date."

"We do?" I asked.

"Yes. We do." Oliver answered.

"Okay, we have a date." I said and I stood up.

He grabbed my hand and we left. He first dropped me off at my place and told me he'd be back in an hour. I quickly took a shower and changed into a plain navy blue dress and some heels before Oliver showed up.

We went out to a pizza place and I avoided the conversation about his mom. Afterwards he dropped me back off at my house so I could get ready for work. Once my shift at the hospital was over, I got a text from Laurel. She wanted to have a girl's night in.

I agreed and went home to change into skinny jeans and a sweater. I drove to her house and she told me about Tommy and the Hood while we waited for our Chinese food. When the doorbell rang, I grabbed the money on the coffee table and stood up,

"I got it."

"Okay, I'll get some plates."

Once I opened the door I was pushed by some man. I grabbed his jacket and swung him around and slammed him on the door, leaving the second man trapped between the door frame and the door. I elbowed the man in the neck before going for the one in the doorway. I pushed him down and slammed his leg in the door and he yelled in pain.

"What the-"

"We got to get out of here!" I interrupted Laurel and grabbed her arm before dashing towards the window where the fire escape was.

As we ran towards it, the man I elbowed grabbed Laurel and she turned around and punched him and I grabbed an umbrella, "Duck!"

Laurel ducked and I slammed the umbrella into the other man's head and he fell. The man came for me and I ducked under his arm and hit him on the back and Laurel threw him into the cabinet. We began running for the door when a different man stood in the hallway.

"I love a girl who can take care of herself." He said before he brought a taser to my neck and everything went dark.

* * *

When I woke up, I was tied to a chair and Laurel was sitting next to me.

"Time's running out. And still no visit from your friend." Vanch said. "I might have overestimated his fondness for you."

He grabbed her hair and tilted her head back and she gasped and Vanch put a knife to her throat, "Assault with intent. And kidnapping. You're going to rot in prison for life this time."

Vanch chuckled, "That's assuming your hooded BFF saves you. And his chances of survival are not so great." He let go of Laurel and moved behind me, "He's going up against trained men with their fingers on the trigger of guns that fire up to 600 rounds per minute. Now, I'm no Einstein, but that is a lot of bullets. And even if he were to take them out, I have two sharpshooters on the roof. And even if he were to get by them, what's he going to do against the veritable army of sons of bitches I've got waiting for him? Now, like I said, I'm no Einstein. But I can count to 24. And in case you're wondering, I was, so I studied up on my news footage." Vanch ran the knife down my cheek and towards my neck, "24 is the exact number of arrows he carries in his quiver and flechettes around his forearm."

I heard a gun cock and Vanch moved the knife away from me and I turned my head to see the Hood walked into the room, his head low to hide his identity.

"Lose the bow, Merida." Vanch chuckled and Oliver dropped it, "Ventilate him."

There was a gun shot, "My daughter! My little girl and her friend!"

It was Quentin.

I watched as Oliver threw a knife and knocked the gun out of Quentin's hand before he shot Vanch,

"I'm the vigilante. You're the cop." Oliver stated.

"That doesn't mean I have to read the bastard his rights, though." Quentin replied before punching Vanch, knocking him to the ground.

"Laurel, Adela, are you two okay?" Quentin asked.

"Yeah." Laurel answered and I turned around and noticed that Oliver was gone.

"I'm fine." I said.

* * *

Laurel and I were brought to the police station and questioned. When we were down, we sat at her dad's desk and drank some tea that we were given.

"All right, you two are good to go." Quentin told us, walking into the room. "I'll take you girls home."

"We can take a cab." Laurel responded.

"Laurel, you had a trauma. I'm driving you two home." Quentin replied.

"No."

"What?" He asked.

"I'm going to need you to keep your distance for a while." Laurel said.

"Laurel..."

I didn't want to be in the middle of a family argument. So I grabbed my cell phone from my pocket and left the building. I called for a cab and it quickly came and picked me up. I was driven to the nightclub and went downstairs where Diggle was.

"Adela!" He stood up when he saw me, "I heard what happened. Are you alright?"

I nodded and sat down, "I'm okay, Dig."

"What happened?"

"I was with Laurel at her apartment, and these two men came in. Laurel and I took them down, but Vanch tased the both of us. We were being held at his place and Oliver came in. He was about to get shot by one of Vanch's guards but Quentin shot the guy and arrested Vanch." I explained.

We sat there in silence, waiting for Oliver. My eyes got droopy and I couldn't keep them open any longer so I fell asleep in the chair. When I woke up, I heard Moira's voice play from a recorder,

"I made it clear to him persuasively that his plans endangered the Undertaking. I didn't have to make the usual threats."

"What's the Undertaking?" I asked as I stretched my arms above my head.

Oliver turned and looked at me, "Hey."

I gave him a small smile, "Hi."

"How are you?" He asked me.

"I'm good. Better than I was a few hours ago." I answered before standing up and walked over to the table, "So, what's the Undertaking."

"I don't know, but with all this talk about threats, it can't be good." Oliver answered before looking at Diggle, "You warned me that if she was lying, it would be to cover up her involvement in something dangerous. I need to know what the Undertaking is."

"What are you going to do?" Diggle asked.

"I need to have another chat with my mom." Oliver told him before walking over to me and taking my face in his hands, "Diggle will drive you home. I'll try to be there later, okay?"

I nodded and he leaned down and kissed me before grabbing his bow and leaving.


	12. Chapter 12

"Can we wait until Oliver comes back?" I asked Diggle and he nodded.

I know Oliver said he'd meet me at my house, but I wanted to wait until he comes back from visiting his mother as the Hood.

We turned the news on the computer screen and there was a breaking news report about the vigilante attacking Moira Queen and she was unharmed.

"Excuse me."

Diggle pulled out his gun and turned around. It was Felicity from the IT Department, and she was covered in blood, "Can you help me? He's really heavy."

"Oh god." I whispered.

Diggle and Felicity went to go get Oliver and I set up a table. When Diggle put him on the surface, Oliver was unconscious. I quickly had Diggle take off his top and I grabbed a towel to put pressure on his bullet wound.

"He just missed a carotid." I said as I looked at it, "Diggle, keep pressure on it."

"I should have taken him to a hospital." Felicity commented as I grabbed the cart that I put some medical supplies in.

"No, Felicity, that's why he asked you to bring him here." Diggle replied. "Because he knew the police would want to know how and why he got the wound."

"I'm a nurse, Felicity. I can take care of a bullet wound." I told her.

"I'm guessing how and why are Oliver Queen's least favorite questions." Felicity said.

"Yeah, well, there's also when and where, he's not too fond of." Diggle replied.

"So, if we can't bring him to the hospital..."

"We bring the hospital to him." I finished as I grabbed a bag of type O blood.

"Is that..." Felicity began.

"Yeah. His blood. He stored it for a rainy day." I answered.

"And I say right now, it's pouring." Diggle said.

I grabbed some gloves and I set them by Oliver's head, "Both of you, put those on. Remember playing 'Operation' when you were a kid?"

"Yes." Felicity answered. "And it never made me want to throw up."

Diggle grabbed her arm, "Hey, Felicity, listen, trust me. He'll be fine. He's been through a lot worse than this."

After using a pair of tweezers to get the bullet out of Oliver's body, I stitched him up.

"Good job. I think." Felicity commented.

"His heart rate's elevated, but at least the bleeding stopped." I said.

"Thanks for your help." Diggle told the girl as he took off his gloves, "You kept your head on."

"Well, I always wondered how I'd react if I found my boss shot and bleeding inside my car." She replied, "Not that I helped because he's my boss. I'd help anyone who was shot and bleeding in my car."

"I was thinking all of this would be more of a shock." Diggle said, "What, are you saying you called this all along?"

"I'm not saying anything. Except Oliver brought me a laptop riddled with bullet holes, had me trace a black arrow, and research a company involved in armored car heists. I may be blonde, but I'm not that blonde." Felicity responded.

"Yeah, Oliver's not too great with the cover stories." I replied. "Hey, Diggle, can you drop by my house and grab my laptop, please?"

"What am I, you're butler?" He joked.

I held out my keys, "Please?"

"All right." Diggle grabbed my keys and patted my head, "Watch him."

"My eyes won't even leave him." I replied before Diggle left.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Felicity asked.

"Well, yeah, he's been my friend since I was younger." I answered.

"Are you two dating?" She questioned.

"What? Why would you think that?" I asked.

"Oh, it's just, there's been photos of you two holding hands and all that couple-y stuff. Eating together, going to movies. All that jazz." Felicity said.

"Yeah, we've been going out on dates, but, we've never exactly but a label on it." I told her.

All of the sudden, the heart monitor went crazy and Oliver began moving. Oh god.

"What's happening?" Felicity asked.

"There's a syringe labeled Ativan. It should stop the seizure." I told Felicity before the monitor went flat, "His heart stopped."

"I'm calling 911." Felicity announced.

"No. Wait, you can't." I said as I grabbed a few pads and placed them on Oliver's chest,

"You know how to use one of those?" She asked.

"I've seen it dozens of times, Felicity. I'm pretty sure I can figure it out." I answered as I grabbed the paddles from the cardioversion machine.

I placed them on the pads, but they didn't work.

"I heard the charge." Felicity commented as she ran towards the machine, "That's good news."

"How's that?"

"It means it might not be the machine, it could be the wiring." She answered.

She fiddled with it and I watched the monitor, "Try again."

"Clear." I said as I placed the paddle on the pads and it worked.

"Come on, Ollie." I whispered as I pressed down again, "Don't leave me."

The monitor now showed his heart rate and I sighed, "What did you do?"

"I've been building computers since I was seven. Wires are wires." Felicity answered and I smiled at her, "What do we do now?"

"Pray we don't have a heart attack ourselves." I told her.

Diggle soon came back and we told him what had happened. He gave us both a pat on the back and handed me my laptop. I could at least look at some emails while I watch Oliver.

Most were just junk mail, but there was one that caught my eye. It was from Beijing Hospital. I opened it and read the contents. They wanted me to work under an internship at the hospital. I heard a groan and I quickly closed my laptop and stood. Oliver was awake.

"I guess I didn't die." Oliver stated. "Again. Cool."

* * *

Oliver sat on the table, holding a small mirror to look at his stitches, "So how am I gonna explain this one?"

"Hickey gone wrong?" Diggle suggested.

"The police collected a sample of your blood at Queen Consolidated. I just hacked the crime lab and ordered the sample destroyed. Oops." Felicity said.

I looked over at the computers and noticed that they looked different. And Oliver noticed, too.

"I hope it's all right. Your system looked like it was from the eighties, and not the good part of the eighties, like Madonna, and, well, legwarmers."

"It's a lot of work. Does that mean you're in?" Oliver asked her.

"You mean in as in I'm going to join your crusade?" Felicity questioned.

"Well, you're practically an honorary member of the team already." Oliver replied.

"So Mr. Diggle said." She responded, "No."

"Then why'd you upgrade my system?" Oliver asked.

"First, because seeing a network that poorly set up hurts me. In my soul. And second... I want to find Walter." Felicity answered.

"My stepfather."

"He was nice to me. And Mr. Diggle told me that the notebook you use to fight crime is the same notebook that got Walter abducted. I'll help you rescue him, but that's it. Then I want to go back to my boring life of being an IT girl." Felicity said. "That's my offer."

"Ok." Oliver nodded.

"So, I've been meaning to ask... is there a bathroom? 'Cause I've had to pee since I got here." Felicity asked.

"C'mon. I'll show you." I told her and she followed me upstairs.

* * *

It was about a month later after Oliver was shot. I've only told Laurel about the email I've gotten from Beijing. I also told her about Oliver and I. I wanted to go, really, I did. But, I don't want to leave Oliver. If he gets hurt again, I won't be there to help.

Laurel told me that it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, that Oliver would be here when I got back.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" I asked Oliver when I entered my house after my shift at the hospital.

"Were you going to tell me?" He asked.

"Tell you what?"

"About Beijing." Oliver answered.

"Who told you?" I questioned.

"Laurel."

Of course.

I shrugged, "I don't even know if I want to go."

"I think you should." Oliver said.

"Why?" I asked him.

"It's a great opportunity for you, Adela. I searched up the hospital, it's one of the top five hospitals in China." Oliver stated.

I nodded, "I know. I still don't want to go."

"Why don't you want to go?" Oliver asked me.

"I can't leave you, Ollie. What if you get shot again and I'm not here to save your ass?"

Oliver walked towards me, "Don't let me hold you back. I want you to go."

"But-"

"The internship lasts six months , right? And if they like you, they'll want to hire you, won't they?" Oliver asked and I nodded, "So go for the six months, and if you want to come back, you can come back."

"Ollie." I whispered.

"Please. Do it, for me." Oliver said.

I nodded and he gave me a sad smile before kissing me.


	13. Chapter 13

**1 Month Later**

Tonight is supposed to be the opening night of Oliver and Tommy's club. After my night at the hospital in Beijing, I sent Ollie a text message.

_Congrats on your first night._

It would probably end up an unknown number, since I had to get a new one when I moved here to China.

So far, my internship has been good. The week before I left Oliver taught me some Chinese, and since I moved here, I've been learning more. Actually, I've been learning more than just Chinese. I've been learning how to fight. Tae kwon do, karate, kung fu, you name it. Even the art of throwing knives. I'm still learning, but, hey, It's only been a month.

**6 Months Later**

My internship was over. They offered me a job, but I declined. It was time for me to go home. In the short few months that I've been training, I have become very skilled in martial arts. I bought a very nice pair of throwing knives and had it shipped to my house in Starling City. The day before my flight back to the states, I went around shopping. Not for everyday clothes. I was looking for an outfit. Mostly leather. And a mask.

* * *

I'm back in Starling City. No one knows that I'm back. And I wasn't planning on telling anyone. If I tell someone like Laurel or Diggle or Thea, they're going to tell Oliver. And if Oliver knows, then he's gonna make the connection between me and the new vigilante in town. Well, not exactly new.

I went to Oliver's new club the night I got back, and I planted a bug downstairs in his little 'hideout'. The next day, I heard Felicity and Oliver talking about Walter, and how Dominic Alonzo, the owner of an underground casino here in Starling City. Felicity's going down there to gamble, get caught counting cards, and place a bug on Alonzo's computer when she gets caught and sent to his office.

Looks like she's not the only one going gambling tonight.

* * *

I wore a tight, black cocktail dress and high black heels and expensive jewelry. I also had a small handbag big enough to hide my mask and a few of my knives. I got the password off of one of the casino's regulars and made sure to get in before Felicity could.

I sat at the bar for about ten minutes before Felicity showed up. It was obvious that she was talking to someone through an ear piece. I'm surprised the guards didn't notice. I watched as she sat at one of the blackjack tables and gave a stack of money to the man.

After she one a few rounds, a man came over and began to escort her away. I quickly stood up and followed. I went into the bathroom and quickly put on my mask and took out one of my knives. I walked back out and the two men outside the door came towards me and I quickly took them out. I didn't kill them, I just knocked them unconscious. I stood by the door, listening.

"Oh, yeah, Megan, one more thing." I heard Alonzo say, "You see, the thing about card counters is... sometimes they work... with a partner."

I heard a crunch and it must have been the ear piece Felicity had.

"You're gonna be really upset when you meet my partner."

I then heard gunshots behind me and I broke open the door. I stopped when I saw Alonzo with a gun to Felicity's head. Her eyes widened when she saw me. Bet she didn't plan on seeing me instead of Oliver.

"You should let her go." I said in the British accent.

That's another thing I've been working on since I moved.

"Who're you?" Alonzo asked.

"I call myself A. I'm new in town." I replied before throwing my knife into Alonzo's arm and he dropped the gun and screamed.

Behind me the gun shots stopped and I heard footsteps enter the room. I turned around and smiled,

"You're late. But don't worry. I got him for you."

Oliver looked at me for another moment before going over and grabbing Alonzo,

"Where's Walter Steele?" He asked him.

"What? What are you talking about?" Alonzo questioned.

"6 months ago you had him kidnapped!" Oliver yelled.

"It was just a job. I was given a name. I didn't ask any questions." Alonzo replied.

Oliver slammed him against the wall, "Last chance. Where is he?"

"Below ground." He answered.

"You're lying!"

"I'm not. I delivered him and they killed him." Alonzo said. "I heard the gunshot. He's dead."

Oliver punched Alonzo and knocked him out and I looked over at Felicity. She looked like she was going to cry.

"You worked with Mr. Steele, didn't you?" I asked her, "At Queen Consolidated?"

Felicity nodded, "My condolences. To the both of you." I did a little curtsy, "Until next time Mr. Vigilante and Ms. Smoak."

"Wait."

I turned around in the doorway, "Yes?"

"Who are you?" Oliver asked.

I gave him a smirk, "You can call me A."


	14. Chapter 14

I sat in my house, watching the camera bugs I set up in Oliver's club. Apparently Oliver and Diggle got information out of Moira. Tommy's dad is planning on leveling the Glades with a machine that can cause an earthquake. Holy crap.

The other Archer, the one that I stopped from revealing Oliver's identity months ago, is working for Malcolm. He killed a bunch of workers at Unidac Industries, so no one can trace the disaster back to Malcolm.

I listened in on their plan of going to Merlyn Global to hack into the main frame. I decided to help... without them knowing. I was able to get up to the 24th floor before Oliver and Felicity, and I got on top of the elevator. I put on my gloves before jumping onto the cable for the other elevator and climbed it up one more floor and opened the door. I quickly put on my mask and went into the room Felicity would need to go into.

I hid beside the door, and once she came in, I put my hand over her mouth.

"Shh." I whispered in my accent as she struggled, "I'm not going to hurt you."

I let go of her and she turned to look at me, "Jeez, you're like my guardian angel or something, A."

"Let's go with or something. Look, you do what you need to do in here. I'll be outside the door. I'll deal with security." I told her.

"What are you going to do to them?"

"Nothing." I answered before leaving the room.

I stood out there for a few minutes, waiting for the security guard. Once I heard the foot steps, I took out my dart.

"Excuse me, do you know where room 413 is?" I asked.

"What with the-?"

I elbowed the man in the gut and stuck the dart into his neck, making him fall asleep. I grabbed his arm and dragged him into the other room.

"Got it?" I asked when I saw Felicity exit the room.

"Yep." She answered.

We walked over to the elevator and got in.

"You know, it's gonna be a little suspicious when you get out and people see the mask." Felicity said.

"I know." I opened up the little hole on the ceiling to the elevator, "See you, Felicity."

I put a phone into her jacket pocket and I jumped into the square hole and I leaped over to the other cable, slid down until I hit the other elevator. Luckily, when I got in, there wasn't anyone. So I took off my gloves and my mask before exiting the elevator in the lobby and leaving.

* * *

I changed when I got home into some yoga pants and a sweatshirt and decided to walk around the city. I just happened to be outside Laurel's building when I saw Tommy. He was staring up into one of the windows.

When I looked, my heart stopped. Laurel was in there, her legs wrapped around a guy as they kissed and stripped. And it wasn't any guy, it was Oliver.

* * *

"Where's Oliver?" I asked in the phone.

"What? Who is this?" Felicity questioned.

"Think Felicity. I saved your arse hours ago." I replied.

"Okay, A. How do you know Oliver's the vigilante?"

"I know because I'm not stupid." I answered, "Now, where is he?"

"He's with Malcolm Merlyn. The device he's using in the Undertaking is in a warehouse and Diggle is taking care of it." Felicity said.

"So he's at Merlyn Global. Thanks, Miss Smoak." I replied before hanging up.

I quickly got into my suit and put on my mask, making sure I have enough knives before leaving.

* * *

"I rather like you like this." I smiled, walking into the dark room that Malcolm put Oliver in.

"You gonna let me down?" Oliver asked as I picked up his hoodie.

"I don't know." I replied, walking over to him and I trailed a finger down his chest and over his stomach, "I should have some fun first."

Oliver sighed and he flipped himself upside down and climbed up the chains a little before falling, breaking the pole on the ceiling that held the chains up.

"I would've let you down." I said as he stood up.

"Didn't seem like you were going to do that any time soon." He responded as he took his hood out of my hand and put it on.

A man came through the doorway and I kicked him in the face, knocking him out. Oliver went to the door and when a man came in, Oliver wrapped the chains around his neck and broke it.

"Did you have to kill them?" I asked, staring at the body.

"They'll tell Malcolm that I escaped... and that I have a partner." Oliver answered, walking to the man that I knocked out and snapped his neck, too.

Another man came in with a gun, but there was a gunshot and the man died. Then Diggle appeared.

"I take back every joke I made about you sticking a tracking device in your boot."


	15. Chapter 15

"Felicity's at Queen Consolidated." Diggle said as we walked down the stairs at the night club, "She's still going through the data she pulled off Merlyn's network."

"Did she find anything?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, the design schematics of the earthquake generator." He answered. "So we can shut it down. Assuming we find it in time."

Diggle's phone rang and he talked to Felicity. It wasn't until the next morning when Oliver called Quentin as the Hood, telling him about Malcolm's plan to level the Glades.

I went upstairs to get a good look of the club, I haven't had a chance to see it that well yet. I was up on the second floor when I saw Tommy walk in. He went over to the bar and grabbed a bottle of alcohol.

"Look who it is." Tommy chuckled as Oliver walked in, "My best friend in life."

"Hey, buddy." Oliver greeted.

"I took your advice, you know." Tommy said, pointing the bottle at him and shook it, "I went to Laurel's, to fight for her. So imagine my surprise seeing you there, kissing her."

Tommy slammed the bottle on the counter and I flinched.

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not." I said and they both looked up at me.

"Oh, great, another masked vigilante." Tommy sighed.

"Look, Tommy, something's happening, and it involves your father." Oliver told him.

"Keep my father out of this."

"Our fathers." Oliver corrected, "They aren't the men we thought they were. They made a plan together... to destroy the Glades."

Tommy shook his head, "Do you have any idea what you sound like right now?"

"He's right, Tommy." I said and I walked down the steps slowly, "You're father's going to do it."

"He thinks it will avenge your mother's death." Oliver said.

"Don't talk about my mother!" Tommy swung his fist at Oliver, but he side stepped it and Tommy fell the the ground.

"The difference between us, Tommy, is that I didn't find out the truth about my father until it was too late. But you've always known, deep down, you have always known the man he is."

Tommy sat up, "I wish you would have dies on that island."

"He doesn't mean it." I said after Tommy left.

"Yeah, he does." Oliver replied.

"Tommy's blinded by rage. He doesn't want to believe what his father is doing." I responded and I sat on the stool at the bar and turned to Oliver, "Didn't you used to date Adela Murray? And now you've hooked up with Laurel Lance?"

"Adela's gone and she isn't coming back."

"You don't know that." I replied, "She might come back from China."

"If Adela hasn't come back yet, then she won't come back at all." Oliver said.

"If only you knew." I whispered and went back down into the basement.

* * *

"The Undertaking is happening tonight." Oliver said after he returned from his house.

"Oliver, Felicity may have found something." Diggle replied and Felicity held up Oliver's list of names,

"This symbol is a map of the old subway tunnel system." She said.

"That's what got us thinking the Undertaking is connected to the Glades." Oliver responded.

"What if it's more specific than that?"

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"If I had a machine that could trigger an earthquake in an otherwise geologically stable area, where would I position it?" Felicity responded.

"Underground."

"Yeah." Felicity turned around and pulled up something on her computer, "This is a US geological survey or the tectonic plates underneath Starling City. This red line here is a known fault that runs right below the Glades."

"About a mile, the fault runs underneath the old tenth street subway line." Diggle said.

"Dollars into donuts, the seismic device is somewhere along there."

"I know where it is." Oliver said before his phone began to buzz, "Now is not a good time."

Oliver quickly hung up and turned to us, "Pull up the local news."

Felicity did what Oliver said and Moira was on the news.

"My name is Moira Dearden Queen. I am the acting CEO of Queen Consolidated. And God forgive me, I have failed this city. For the past five years, under the threat for my life and the lives of my family... I have been complicit in an undertaking with one horrible purpose." She looked to someone off camera before looking back, "To destroy the Glades and everyone in it. I realize now that my family's safety will mean nothing if I let this dreadful act occur. But you need to know that the architect of this nightmare... is Malcolm Merlyn. Yes, and I have proof that he has killed dozens in pursuit of this madness. Adam Hunt, Frank Chen, and my husband... Robert. Please. If you reside in the Glades, you need to get out now. Your lives and the lives of your children depend on it. Please."

"Oliver, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He replied as he opened a box, "She gave those people a chance."

"I thought Merlyn broke your bow." I said and he pulled out a different one.

"I have another."

"I was going over the device schematics. The device can be set for a timed detonation or can be remote activated by a mobile transmitter." Felicity said.

"Something Merlyn could have on him." Oliver replied.

"Listen, Oliver, if we could just get our hands on this transmitter, maybe we don't need to track down this device." Diggle said.

"It's too big of an 'if', Diggle. I need you in the subway. Find the device, disarm it." Oliver ordered.

"So you can take on Merlyn by yourself?" Diggle questioned.

"No, he won't." I spoke up, "I'll be there."

"So will I." Diggle said, holding his hand out for Oliver to shake.

"I'm out of bows."

"I got my gun." Diggle replied.

"I guess it's up to me to do the dismantling." Felicity said.

"This whole area is ground zero." Oliver told her, "I want you out of here."

"If you're not leaving, I'm not leaving." Felicity replied. "Besides, if I don't deactivate the device, who will?"

Oliver walked past us and grabbed his phone to call Quentin.

"I need one more thing from you." Oliver said to him, "I know where Merlyn is keeping the device. It's in an abandoned subway station near Puckett Street... That's where his wife was murdered. I need someone I can trust to deactivate this device. We have a mutual friend that I think could talk you through it... Right now, detective it needs you.

* * *

Oliver suited up and the three of us left for Merlyn Global. When we got up to his office, there were dead police officers.

"Looks like we missed him." Diggle said.

I heard someone cough and I raised my knife.

"Tommy."

"Oliver." Tommy groaned.

"Where's your father?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know." Tommy answered. "You were right. You were right about him."

"Oliver." Diggle stated, standing by a wall.

"Are you going to kill him?" Tommy asked.

"Get to safety." Oliver told him.

Tommy left and Oliver came over,

"Looks like a false wall." I told him and Diggle opened it.

On the other end of the room, was Malcolm Merlyn.

"Welcome, lady and gentlemen. I've been waiting for you. I wanted to see you watch your city die." Malcolm said as we entered.

"Where's the transmitter?" Oliver asked.

"Somewhere I can easily get to it." Malcolm answered.

"I doubt it." Diggle replied, "You're going to be too dead."

I threw my knife and Oliver shot an arrow and Diggle began shooting. I walked behidn Diggle as we went to where Malcolm ran to as he shot an arrow towards Oliver. Diggle and I began throwing punches and kicks at Malcolm as he did the same. Malcolm knocked Oliver over onto the table and ran to the other side of it and shot an arrow at me. I wasn't quick enough to dodge it, and it planted itself into my stomach.

My back hit the wall and I slid down onto the floor and watched Malcolm escape.

"The stairs, Oliver. Go!" Diggle told him, "I got her."

"Diggle, go help him." I said, my fake accent failing.

"Oh, god. Please don't be who I think it is." Diggle whispered as he took my mask off me, "Oh, Adela."

I smiled at him, "Accent threw you off, huh? Don't tell, Olli."

"What if you die?" Diggle asked.

"I won't. Now get up there and help Oliver. I'll be okay."

Diggle ran off and I stood up and broke the shaft off of the arrow, leaving the arrow head inside my stomach. I put my mask back on and I got out of the building just as the ground began to shake.

"A, can you hear me?"

"What is it Diggle?" I asked, not bothering with the British accent.

"Laurel's at CNRI." He said.

"Crap, okay, I'm on it." I told him and I began running towards Laurel's work.

"Are you all right?" Diggle asked.

"I told you I'll be fine, Diggle." I answered.

"Oliver's on his way now." He said.

"I don't care. If she's still in there, she could be hurt. I'll make it before him." I replied.

I saw a man on a motorcycle come towards me on the street and I stood in front of it, making him stop.

"What the-"

"Sorry!" I exclaimed as I pushed him off and drove towards the CNRI.

When I arrived, I saw Laurel, Quentin, and J outside, staring back at the heavily damaged building.

"Who's inside?" I asked.

"Tommy!" Laurel answered.

"Oh god no." I whispered before running in.

I found him near the door, cement bricks on top of him. I quickly pushed them aside, "Tommy?"

"Adela? Is that... you?"

I ripped off my mask and removed the last block and gasped. There was a pole going through Tommy's chest.

"Tommy." I whispered.

"Is... is Laurel safe?" He asked me, "I tried to get her out of here."

I nodded, "She's fine. You saved her, Tommy."

"Is all of my friends vigilante's?" Tommy asked.

I shook my head, "No. Just me and Oliver. And he doesn't even know that I'm back from China yet."

"Who else knows about you?" Tommy questioned.

"Just you and Diggle. He found out just a bit ago." I answered and Tommy's hand went to my stomach,

"You're bleeding."

"I'm going to be fine. Just like you are." I replied and I went to reach for his shoulder.

"Stop, Adela. We know I'm not gonna make it." Tommy responded.

"Tommy!"

I grabbed my mask and put it back on just as Oliver came over and looked at Tommy's wound.

"I'm sorry." Tommy told Oliver.

"No. Don't apologize." Oliver replied.

"I was angry." Tommy continued, "And I was jealous. I... I am my father."

"No. No you're not." Oliver told him.

"Did you get him?" Tommy asked and I looked at Oliver, wondering the same thing.

"No." Oliver answered.

"Thank you." Tommy whispered before closing his eyes.

"No, no!" Oliver yelled, "Tommy! It should have been me. Open you eyes, Tommy!"

I sat back against the door frame and stared at Tommy's body as Oliver cried.


	16. Chapter 16

Oliver left the day after Tommy's funeral. He went back to the island of Lian Yu. After months of being away, Diggle and Felicity went to go find him. I stayed behind, ever since most of the Glades fell, there's been more crime. The only person to stop it is A.

Moira went to prison, and Thea's been alone. Well... sorta. She has Roy. I 'came back' for Tommy's funeral, and I've been staying at the Queen's house.

Instead of going back into nursing, I helped Thea out with the club. I was going to make sure things were okay before I left this evening for Starling Earthquake Fund benefit tonight.

As I was walking towards the club, I got a text from Diggle,

'He's back.'

When I got there, I saw two figures in the office window, "Seriously?"

I went down into the basement to get more bourbon and when I got back up, I froze.

"Adela?"

"Hi, Ollie." I smiled.

I set the bottle down on the bar and hugged him, "I missed you."

"I missed you, too. How was Beijing?" Oliver asked.

"It was fine." I answered.

"When did you come back?"

"I came back for Tommy's funeral. Stayed ever since. Hope you don't mind, I've been staying at your place with Thea." I said.

"Not at all. I didn't see you at the funeral." Oliver replied.

"Well, you left before I could talk to you." I responded.

"Do you want to go out tonight? Catch up?" Oliver asked.

What? Wasn't he hooking up with Laurel? What about her?

"I can't." I answered, "I have this charity thing tonight. With Laurel."

I began walking towards the door, "It was nice seeing you, Ollie."

* * *

That night I went to the fund for rebuilding Starling City after the earthquake. Laurel and I stood next to the district attorney, listening to the mayor's speech, when someone interrupted him.

"You have failed this city, Mr. Mayor! The Glades descended into hell on your watch! You swore to protect all the citizens of Starling, not just the wealthy!"

"We're very sorry about this folks." The mayor said, "We'll have this sorted out in just a minute."

Just as he finished that sentence, there were gunshots and the mayor fell to the ground, dead. Four men in masks entered the room and shot down all the police officers. They walked down to the steps and over to the district attorney.

"Mr. District Attorney."

I grabbed the man arm and punched him twice in the face and took his gun. When I turned around, the other man had a gun pointed to my face. He grabbed my hair and forced me down to my knees,

"We are the Hoods." He said as he took the gun, "And what was taken from us, we will take back."

I stood in the corner, being questioned by Detective Hilton, when I saw Oliver walk down the stairs and go over to Laurel. They talked for a few moments before leaving.

After I was done being questioned, I quickly left, wanting to avoid Oliver. I just wanted to have some rest before going to the club tomorrow. I guess that's gonna be hard, considering I'm living with Thea and Oliver. Maybe I should go back to my place, I mean, Thea's not alone anymore.

* * *

That night I stood at the bar, waiting for the orders, when I saw a man in dark clothes holding a gun. It was the Hoods. I quickly broke away from everyone and went down into the basement where I kept my outfit. I quickly slid into the suit as people upstairs began screaming and there were gunshots.. Once had my knives and my mask on, I went to the platform above everyone and waited.

"We're looking for Oliver Queen! He's back in town. He owns this dump." One of them said.

"Rude." I mumbled.

"Okay, then plan 'B'. I'm gonna start shooting people until Mr. Queen... grows a pair." He grabbed a girl and threw her to the floor.

"He's not here." I said in my British accent and I jumped down in front of the man, "Clearly you're not up to date with this place, Mr. Queen doesn't own it anymore."

"Who are you?" He asked and I threw my knife, knocking the gun out of his hand.

"I'm A." I smiled at him and I heard a gun cock behind me.

"Roy!"

I kicked the man in front of me in the chest, knocking him into a pole and I turned around and saw Roy tackled the man who aimed a gun at me. I took down the other one, and when he fell, I noticed he had a fake hand.

"Ahh!" I turned around again and saw one of the Hoods holding Thea hostage and Roy had a gun aimed at him.

"Back off, hero. I'm just as happy to kill this Queen as her brother. Let's go!"

As they began to leave towards the back entrance, I ran out the front. I circled the factory, hoping to catch them, but as I rounded the corner, a van sped past me. I took out my knife and threw it at the van. This isn't one of my ordinary knives, this one had a tracking device.

Once the police came, I hid in the basement. I sat in a chair in the dark, waiting for Oliver or Diggle or Felicity to come down. I got all three.

"I've made a few improvements down here. Just in case, you know... you decided to come back." Felicity turned on the light and I turned around to face them.

"Long time, no see, Queen." I said as I stood up.

He came towards me, "We need to find these guys."

"I've been trying since you got back." Felicity said as she went towards the computer, "I figured you'd come around eventually."

"Here." I tossed her my phone that showed the address, "I bugged their van earlier. They're at the Standing Strong church in the Glades. It's a support group for those who lost loved ones in the quake."

"What's the address?"

"You're going to need this." Felicity said and she grabbed a bow, "I had it custom made. How'd I do?" She asked as Oliver picked it up."

"It's perfect." Oliver answered.

"Well, suit up and we can catch the assholes who took your sister." I said.


	17. Chapter 17

Once Oliver was suited up, we went to the church where they held Thea captive. When one of the men held a gun to Thea's head, Oliver shot an arrow and knocked the gun from the man's hand.

"Get away from her!" I ordered.

They shot at us but we moved out of the way. I was to get Thea while Oliver would take out the men. I took out the first one and while Oliver kept the other's busy, I ran over to Thea.

"You're the chick from the club." Thea said.

"Call me A." I smiled at her as I cut the wrist tie from her and helped her up.

"Get her out of here!" Oliver ordered and I grabbed her arm and we ran for the exit.

* * *

It was a few days later, I was on my rounds when the police radio I stole reported a Fema truck being pursued by two bikers. I quickly jumped on my motorcycle and headed towards Third Street.

I quickly found the truck and I got two knives out. I threw one of them at a biker's wheel, popping it and he crashed onto a parked car. But it didn't seem like I was the only one trying to help. There was a red mustang beside me, and inside was Roy. Thea's boyfriend.

I kept following the Fema truck, driving beside it. On the road, I saw a woman with blonde hair, getting ready to attack the truck. It was the woman who attacked me at Laurel's apartment when Oliver first came back.

I quickly drove in front of the truck and lunged from my bike, tackling her. She threw her knife at me, and it grazed my arm. We threw punches and kicks until I saw the biker from before pass us and go for the truck.

She kicked me onto the ground and ran towards the truck, which had stopped. I got back onto my bike and I didn't get to the truck in time before it drove away. I stopped next to a body that had a gun shot wound in the head. It was the driver of the truck.

"Shit." I mumbled before I saw the cops down the road.

I quickly drove back to Verdant to change. I need a drink.

* * *

"Adela?"

I turned to my right and saw Oliver.

"Heyy, Ollie." I smiled at him.

"What happened to your arm?" He asked as he grabbed my arm to look at the long scratch that the blonde Asian woman gave me about two hours ago.

"It's nothing." I mumbled before taking another sip of my Gin Martini.

"It's not nothing. It's still bleeding." Oliver said, showing me the blood that was now on his fingers, "Come on."

I left my spot at the bar and followed him down to his little hide out. Oliver took out a first aid kit and began cleaning my cut.

"How's Roy?" I asked.

"How'd you know he's being questioned?"

"Lucky guess." I answered.

"Adela, you're not yourself anymore. I'm just trying to help. What have you been doing?" Oliver questioned.

"I have been playing vigilante." I joked and he gave me a look,

"I'm serious, Adela."

"I'm serious too, Ollie." I replied, standing, "I don't need your help."

* * *

It was only the next day when Diggle contacted me, saying that another Fema truck is going to leave its port in 20 minutes. I quickly got dressed and make sure I was loaded on knives before leaving.

When I got there, most of the Fema employees were dead and there were two people in the black, oh, and Oliver was there. He took down the two men and ordered the last Fema man to make the delivery. But when he got into the truck, a knife went into his neck.

"The emerald archer." The woman stated, "I feared you had perished in the quake, denying me the opportunity to pay you back in full for your past interference in my business."

"Your business is going under. Permanently." Oliver replied.

I watched as a man with metal claws jumped in between the woman and Oliver, breaking the arrow that Oliver shot.

"I don't think my friend agrees with you. Our new partnership was easily cemented." The woman said. "See, I was eager to see you dead, and he was eager to kill you."

Oliver kept shooting at the man, but he kept breaking the arrows with his claws.

"No kill shots? I was promised a fight. I hope you haven't lost your nerve."

"Find out."

The woman got into one of the vans and I snuck into the back with the boxes. Once the van pulled out into the road, I jumped onto the roof and made my way to the cab. Then I got a call on my cell phone. I ignored it and smashed the driver's side window with my feet and the truck swerved.

"Miss me?" I asked, opening the door and tried pulling her out.

She kept trying to get me with her knives, so I jumped onto the street and threw my knives at the tires, trying to pop them. I managed to get one, but she kept driving.

"Dammit!" I yelled and kicked the nearest car near me.


	18. Chapter 18

"The authorities have always gone after the vigilante." I heard Diggle say and I went down the steps.

"This time was different." Oliver replied.

"Why, because this time it's Laurel leading the charge?" I asked in my accent as I entered the room.

"Because they got in my way." Oliver corrected, standing up from his chair, "I can't make things better as Oliver Queen, and now I can't make things better as the vigilante. So what if Laurel's involved?!"

I glared at him, "You don't get to jump down my throat just because you're having a lousy week."

"She's right. You're pissed because she invoked the almighty Laurel. Well, you're not the only one whose love life is taking it on the chin!" Felicity yelled.

"Felicity..." Diggle warned.

"What are you talking about?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about, you keep bringing up Carly but you're so involved with yourself that you don't even realize the look he gets every time you do." Felicity answered.

"What is she talking about?" Oliver asked Diggle.

"Me and Carly pulling the pin. It happened when you were gone. Truth is, it's been happening for a while now."

"Being the vigilante's wingman was a strain." Felicity turned to Diggle, "He needs to hear this."

"Well, I don't. And when you want to work on catching the bad guy, call me." I said before leaving the night club, "What a waste of time."

I was about to hop onto my motorcycle when someone jumped in front of me,

"...That was rude. Who are you?"

"I could ask you the same thing." The blonde asked.

"I'm A." I answered.

"And British." The woman commented.

"A+ for observation." I replied, "What's your name?"

"The Canary." She answered.

"Pretty. Now what do you want?"

"Exactly what you want. To stop the people stealing the medical supplies." She said.

"Why?"

"I just want to help okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

It wasn't until the next night that the Fema trucks were attacked again. Felicity called me on my phone, and I contacted the Canary. We arrived just in time. We fought off the Triad's goons and Diggle took off with the Fema truck. Oliver handled the wolverine dude and the Canary and I followed Diggle on the truck. The leader of the Triad was on the truck, and forced Diggle to stop.

The Canary and I fought the Triad leader until Oliver came, shooting an arrow at her that tied her arms together and pinned her to the wooden post. We got out of there quickly. She brought me to a building next to the police station and I noticed Laurel was inside,

"Why are we here?" I asked.

"Did you know him? The Hood, before he became the vigilante." The Canary asked.

"Yes. He was a friend of mine." I answered truthfully.

"I knew him, too. He dated my sister." The Canary said and I stared at her.

"Sara?"

All of the sudden, the lights inside the police station turned off and men in SWAT gear gathered inside. They circled around Oliver. The Canary, who I'm pretty sure is Sara, and I stood up,

"Get ready to grab him and run."

The two of us broke through the ceiling and the Canary used a sonic machine to make the SWAT people fall to their knees. The windows broke and I grabbed Oliver's arm and the three of us ran. We jumped out the window and into an alley.

"Nice mask." Oliver commented, referring to the Canary, "Why'd you help me?"

The Canary didn't answer. She jumped onto a fire escape and disappeared.

"Someone has to save your ass, Queen." I said before leaving.


End file.
